


Why You?

by selimausx3



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-04-08 10:01:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 65,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14102961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selimausx3/pseuds/selimausx3
Summary: Beca was a loner. Ever since Jesse died, she didn’t need anybody. That was until she saved the life of a particular redhead. Chloe stuck around ever since and the brunette didn’t see herself complaining much. Zombie Apocalypse!AU.





	1. The meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Britt/scrappylilgay and I have too much time on our hands, so we created this roleplay/fanfic while we are still working on After All These Years. Lean back and enjoy reading a post-apocalyptic work where Beca and Chloe have to fend for their survival.

_ Journal entry number 74. It's been 74 days ever since the apocalypse started. It's been 57 days ever since I lost Jesse. I saw his dead corpse the other day. His eyes, once filled with love and passion, are now replaced with hunger and greed. I couldn't bring myself to shoot him, so I ran. I'm having trouble finding food. I heard of a farm from other survivors in the east. I don't know if I should check it out. It's also getting warmer. It's maybe April or May. Too lazy to calculate. _

Beca sighed as she looked up from the tree she was sitting on. A few lonely zombies were passing by, not taking notice of her. She had her rifle ready anyways, just for safety. 

_ I should also start raiding more houses. My ammo is running low and I don't know if I can survive without my guns. Thank god that this is America, the land of the free, where every person has a gun. Or, had. _

The brunette girl observed the buildings in the distance, a small suburb she had stumbled across. La Fayette, a sign indicated. She was going to raid it after her rest, hoping to find food, ammo and other necessities.

_ Sometimes I wonder why I'm still fighting. It's not like the zombies are going to disappear anytime soon. And if the survivors manage to create a new society, it's gonna take years, maybe decades until we can build up a working infrastructure again AND keep the zombies at bay. A cure is probably not going to be found. It would be inhumane to cure somebody who is basically missing half of their arm and has flesh bitten off everywhere. But… I just can't get myself to kill myself however. Something tells me I should keep fighting, and if there's one thing I learned, it's to trust my gut. So I will keep on fighting, wondering for what reason. _

The wind blew through her hair, and she relaxed, closing her eyes. She wondered if she'd ever live long enough to even rejoin a group of survivors. For now, she was on her own, and she doubted that was going to change. It was also for the best. She didn't have to worry about somebody else, didn't care if they got left behind or not. It was easy.

_ I will now rest. Then I'll raid this small town I found. Fingers crossed that I'll find useful stuff in there. _

She closed her journal, putting her pen into the holder before packing it into her backpack. She hung it to a branch next to her and secured herself to the branch with ropes, crossing her arms afterwards and laying her head back against the tree. Soon, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

 

Chloe let out a shaky breath as she carefully pushed open the door to the bookstore she found. She listened intently, making sure there were no shuffling feet to be heard. When she heard nothing, she tiptoed inside, letting the door close behind her with a click. She clutched the shotgun she was holding, ready to shoot anything that came at her. When she had counted till 200, and still heard nothing, she slowly unzipped her backpack and took a brick from it. She threw it to the other side of the room, hiding behind a fallen bookshelf as soon as she heard the loud bang. She listened intently, but couldn't hear anything. She waited at least 10 minutes, sitting in dead silence, before moving again. She grabbed the brick and put it back into her bag, zipping it up. No one was here. She looted the place, finding a few cans of food in the office. She repeated this pattern with every house she searched, planning out her next action to the second. She had nearly finished raiding the entire small village by sundown and was on her way towards the last building. It looked like it once was an apothecary and Chloe was hopeful that maybe she'd find some medicine there. The door was barricaded off, which made the redhead swear. She walked around the store, finding a big hole in the wall on the other side. "Lucky."

She climbed through it, handling with the same caution she used for every house. After throwing the brick on the floor and hearing nothing for a few minutes, she scrambled up to grab her trusty brick. However, when she set foot on the floor, she noticed it was a bit damp. "Ew." She whispered to herself. She shuffled forwards and wanted to reach for the brick when she heard a softy crack. Before she knew what was happening, the floor gave out and she felt herself crashing down through the floor and landing on something hard. Her breath was knocked out of her and she let out a soft groan as she felt her muscles protest. Her first action was to scramble for her gun and she clutched it close to her chest. What she didn't expect however, was that the next moment, she heard a loud crashing noise and felt a heavy weight land on her shoulder and chest. She let out a soft moan as she was pushed against the wall by the object. Her shoulder stung and she felt pain shoot up her arm. "Fuck..." She whispered, blinking into the dust that was falling from above. She was officially trapped.

 

When Beca woke up, the sun was already setting. She cursed silently as she hated walking around in the dark. She untied herself from the branch before packing the rope into her backpack. She grabbed it and threw it onto the ground, waiting for any zombies to head her way. When she couldn't see or hear any, she climbed down, her feet landing on the ground with a soft thud. She swung the backpack over her shoulder before she grabbed her rifle, ready to shoot whatever was coming at her. Her stomach gurgled but she ignored it. She would eat, just not yet. 

She stealthily made her way to the city, looking around for any potential dangers. When she reached the first house, she let out a breath as she entered it. She waited for a few seconds, listening if any zombie was walking around. When she didn't hear anything, she started raiding the house. Raiding never takes her long because she had learned where to look. Most people stash their important shit in the same places, but Beca also knew to stick around and search a little deeper when she got the time, hoping to find something good. The only thing she managed to find was a first aid kit. "Damnit." She cursed as she put it into her backpack. Someone had been here already. As she was about to leave the house, she heard a loud crashing noise from opposite of the street. Soon, there was a dust cloud rising from the apothecary. "Okay, not going there." She noted. 

The brunette wasn't the only one who had heard the sounds. She could hear the unmistakably retches and groans from zombies who started making their way over to the building that just collapsed a little. "As if you're going to find something in there." She rolled her eyes but decided to stick around in case there were zombies swarming her place. She didn’t plan on turning into one of them just yet. So, she went to the living room and sat down on the couch, looking out of the window, watching the scene unfold. "You're an awful lot for such a small suburb." She commented as more zombies came by.

 

Chloe was trying to stay calm but felt her breathing quicken. She heard the unmistakable sound of the creatures that she feared the most approaching and she closed her eyes, feeling tears sting in them. "Please just leave." She whispered, whimpering. Her eyes widened when she heard a soft thud to her left. A soft growling was heard and Chloe felt her blood run cold. There was one of them with her in the room. She clutched the gun shakily and tried to keep her breathing as soft as possible. The zombie's growling became louder and Chloe could already smell the foul smell it gave off. She held her breath as the zombie rounded the corner, approaching her. When he came so close that she could smell its breath, she shakily raised the gun and aimed it at the creature. She knew shooting it would result in a loud noise, but she had no other choice. She pulled the trigger, closing her eyes as the blood splattered all over her face.

 

Beca froze when she heard a gunshot going off. There was someone in the building. Inside the apothecary. The same building that was currently swarmed by zombies. "Oh for fucks sake!" She knew it wasn't a good idea to straight up run into her death. Was this person even worth risking her life for? She shook her head. Being turned into a zombie definitely wasn't nice. She watched the dead corpses swaying around and noticed they were walking around the building. "Guess the entrance's over there huh?" She scanned the house. "If there isn't another entrance, create one." 

She looked around the house, looking for a good item to smash a window with. She grabbed a blanket from the couch, wanting to use it so she didn't cut herself from the glass, and took a lamp. "Better than nothing." Another gunshot went off and Beca knew she had to hurry. She checked her rifle and extra ammo pack before sprinting out of the door. Most of the zombies were busy with walking around the apothecary to notice her. "Idiots." She chuckled. 

She readied the lamp and threw it against the window, successfully smashing it in the process. Some zombies stopped and turned around, but Beca was too busy with removing the glass, using the blanket as a glove so she didn't cut herself. Then, she laid it out over the window frame, covering glass she couldn't break off. She felt something behind her and whirled around to a zombie trying to bite her. "Not today asshole." She stabbed her knife into his skull, letting his body drop to the ground. She quickly jumped into the building, avoiding the other zombies. "Thank god you don't have any skills." She looked around. The room was a mess. Medicine, health magazines and bandages were scattered all over the floor, some of the glasses broken, leaking the fluids that they contained. Another gunshot immediately followed by another one went off, signalling Beca that the person was underneath her. "How the fuck am I supposed to get down there?!" She cursed as she frantically moved around. There was a trap door behind the counter, so she opened it. It seemed to lead into the basement that the person was trapped in. A ladder was leading down, but Beca decided to jump straight down, seeing as it wasn't that high. When she landed on the ground, she saw the zombies huddling around a corner. "Shit. How do I get you out of there?" 

She sighed as she readied her gun. She shot into the ceiling, making the zombies stop and turn around. "Hey, idiots. Over here!"

 

Chloe was panicking, trying to crawl away from the zombies swarming her frantically. She cried out and her hands shook. She realised it was hopeless, the growling of the zombies taking up her entire brain, making her go crazy. She turned the gun around, setting it under her chin. A sob escaped her throat as she thought about her family and friends and how she'd finally be with them and her fingers squeezed the trigger. A gunshot could be heard and Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, ready for the darkness to take over. However, she soon realised it wasn't her gun that went off. She opened her eyes and heard a female voice call out.

 

The zombies growled as some of them made their way over to Beca, stumbling in the process. "That's right, keep coming!" The brunette shouted as she shot the first ones. "Oh no, I'm taking your buddies! What are you gonna do about it?" She challenged, making more and more zombies turn their attention towards her. "That's right, I'm a better target than that stupid person over there huh?" She called out, skillfully shooting the zombies that were coming at her. She didn't notice two zombies approaching her from behind, snarling dangerously.

Chloe noticed the small brunette now, shooting at the zombies wildly. She felt her heart beat in her chest and she let a soft breath escape. Her eyes widened in alert when she noticed the zombies coming up behind her. "Behind you!" She yelled, hoping it would warn the brunette.

Beca's head snapped up, looking at the redheaded girl who looked at her with a shocked expression. She quickly averted her eyes as she turned around, pulling out her small handgun in the process. She quickly planted two bullets into the zombies' heads, making them drop to the floor. She turned back around, stashing her small gun back in the holster around her waist before grabbing her rifle. "Try to make your way over to me!" She shouted between gunshots. "There's a ladder you can climb!"

Chloe shook her shoulder, trying to get away. It wouldn't budge. "I… I can't! I'm stuck!" She yelled, her voice breaking.

"Shit." Beca muttered. "Okay, hold on over there. I'm coming!" She kicked the zombie that was approaching her in the chest, sending it flying backwards. "Back off dude!" She dashed through the zombies in a zigzag motion, dodging attempted grabs and bites that way. If needed, she'd punch or kick a dead corpse away. When she finally reached the other girl, she inspected it briefly. "Keep my back free." She ordered as she grabbed the shelf that had fallen onto the redhead, trying to pull it back. "Shit that's heavy." She muttered as she used up her whole strength to lift it while the girl next to her shot the zombies that were coming at them. She managed to lift the shelf a little which gave Chloe the chance to wriggle out of it. "Good, now let's fucking go!" Beca yelled as she turned around, grabbing her rifle.

Chloe shook her sore shoulder, debating whether something had broken. She grabbed her shotgun tightly and shot at the zombies together with the small brunette. They slowly made their way to the ladder, standing huddled close together. "You go first!" Beca said through gritted teeth and Chloe nodded. She grabbed the ladder with her arm, swinging the shotgun over her shoulder. She felt her bad arm protest as soon she put any weight on it and let out a soft groan but she clenched her jaw and heaved herself up, climbing the ladder. As soon as she got up, she heard the brunette behind her and they shot the zombies approaching them. "What now?" The redhead asked worriedly. "There's only one entrance."

"I hope they're still gone from the window." Beca replied as she made her way over to it. She peeked outside, letting out a sigh of relief as nothing was in sight. "Come on." She hopped up onto the window sill and extended her hand, waiting for the redhead to take it.

Chloe looked at her extended hand with a frown and helped herself over the window sill carefully, not taking Beca's hand. As soon as they were in the clear, she let out a soft groan as the adrenaline left her body and her shoulder flared up. "Well, uhm… thanks for saving me. I'll be on my way." She said, looking at the brunette shyly. She wanted to turn around but as soon as she did, her legs buckled and she fell to the ground.

Beca silently cursed. "Seems like you can't go anywhere." She deadpanned as she helped Chloe back up. The redhead whimpered because the girl had used her bad arm to get her up, so she shoved her away. "Woah. I'm just trying to help." The brunette protested, raising her hands defensively.

"I know… just...I don't… please don't touch me so suddenly." Chloe replied, wincing in pain. "It hurts like a bitch."

"Oh god. Okay." Beca sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "You're coming with me." She ordered, grabbing the redhead's good hand and pulling her along with her.

The other girl let herself be pulled along reluctantly, rolling her eyes. "Where are you taking me?" She asked, a nervous tone in her voice.

"To your death bed." The brunette replied in a serious tone.

"Great. Just make it quick." Chloe answered just as serious. She thought about how close she was to pulling the trigger today and she frowned, her eyes cast down.

"I'll try my best." Beca replied. They kept walking, the brunette's firm grasp on the redhead's hand not loosening up. Beca eventually pulled Chloe into a house, making sure nobody was in it before setting the redhead down on the couch. "Strip." She ordered as she sat down her backpack.

Chloe wanted to protest, but didn't find any reason to, so she took off her flannel and ripped white tank top, wincing in pain as she took it over her head. Her stomach muscles clenched at the sudden exposure to cold air and she shivered.

Beca retrieved her first aid kit filled with medicine, bandages and whatnot she had gathered these past two months. She plopped it down next to the redhead, inspecting the shoulder. "Seems like it might definitely be bruised." She said as she traced her fingers over it, watching the other girl's reaction. She carefully moved it a little, ignoring the noises of protest coming from Chloe. "Definitely not broken when you can whine like that." Beca rolled her eyes as she grabbed a bandage. "Maybe fractured. But I doubt it. Probably just really bruised. You should definitely hold it still while it heals." She applied some pain relieving medicine before wrapping the bandage around the other girl’s shoulder. Then, she took some aspirin and handed Chloe a pill. She retrieved a water bottle and also handed it to her. "There." She spoke coldly.

The redhead blushed at the sensations going through her skin where the brunette touched her. She took the water bottle and swallowed the medicine. Her eyes roamed across Beca's face curiously. "Why… why are you helping me?" She asked softly.

"Don't need another zombie roaming this godforsaken world." The brunette shrugged. "Don't you have any stuff?" She asked. "I noticed earlier. You only seem to have your shotgun. No backpack, nothing?"

Chloe shook her head. "I had a backpack… but… I lost it when I fell through the floor." She said with a frown. "I have a safe house though. That's pretty packed with stuff.”

Beca raised her eyebrow at this new information. "Where?"

"It's in the forest up north. It's really hard to find, only when you know the way." The redhead replied. "I'm.... I'm Chloe by the way. Thanks… thanks again for saving me."

"Beca." The girl nodded. "Let's make a deal. I'll get your backpack and you get me to your safe house."

"And… then? Are you going to rob me?" Chloe asked anxiously.

"Oh no, you've seen through my plans. I must escape now before it is too late." Beca replied sarcastically.

“Well, what else could you want from me?" The redhead furrowed her brows angrily.

"Stay for a while? I've been on the run almost constantly, I haven't slept well in what seems like forever and I just want a goddamn bed instead of a fucking tree for once." The brunette retorted. "So, do we have a deal?"

Chloe thought about it for a while. She had more than enough supplies to provide for the other girl, and the thought of some company would be nice. Safety in numbers and all that. But then she remembered the last company she had and how they ended up and her mouth became a straight line. "You… you can stay for 2 days." She replied without looking at the brunette. "And take any supplies you need. As a thanks for saving me."

"Thanks. I'll be back. Don't move and stay low." Beca ordered again before skipping out of the house, taking her backpack and rifle with her. She didn't trust Chloe with all of her supplies just yet. 

 

She made her way back to the apothecary. There weren't as much zombies as there were before, so the brunette easily shot down the remaining ones before climbing back into the building through the window she broke. She jumped into the basement and looked around while absentmindedly shooting a few zombies. When she spotted a huge backpack lying underneath a pile of crashed down wood, stone and whatnot, she got to work. She managed to free it, dusting it off. "Hopefully that shit in there survived." Just as she was about to turn around, she was knocked down by a heavy force. Soon enough, a foul odor made its way to her nose. "Oh god no." She gagged as she pushed the zombie that had fallen onto her away. She scrambled to her feet, readying her rifle when she looked into the face of Jesse. She froze which the zombie used to his advantage, attacking her. "Get off me!" She screamed, ramming her rifle against his chest. The zombie groaned, stumbling back a bit. Without thinking, Beca sent a bullet through his head, making him drop onto the ground. "Oh no..." She choked out as she sank onto her knees. She had done it. After 57 days, she had finally killed her boyfriend. She let the tears fall as she stared at the mutilated face. "Why have you been following me?" She asked the dead corpse. "Were you still alive somewhere in there?" She sobbed, sniffing.

However, her mourning didn't last long as more zombies started to drop down the hole again. Beca got up, wiping away her tears before turning around, running back to the house where she left Chloe, the redhead's backpack in hand.

 

Chloe had been sat on the floor, listening intently for any sounds while she cleaned her gun. She moved her shoulder, marvelling at how much better it felt after the brunette took care of it. She thought about the skillful way Beca had bandaged her up, using her supplies without even thinking about it. "Stupid. I could have been bit." The redhead said to herself, rolling her eyes. She counted the seconds for Beca's return, a habit she had taken up ever since… she left Aubrey. It made her calm. There would always be a next number, and after that there followed more. It was a never-ending source of thoughts. She just hit 2000 when she heard the front door bang open. She scrambled to her feet, readying her gun with her heart beating in her throat.

"Here, I got your-- woah no need to shoot me." Beca said as she dropped the backpack. "It was buried, I don't know if the stuff in there survived it." Her eyes were a little red and her shirt was stained with blood and mud.

Chloe stared at the brunette before lowering her gun. "Okay. Thanks." She said softly. "You should… really change your shirt." She added. She kneeled down and rummaged through the backpack. The cans she found were a little dented but most of them survived the fall. The redhead nodded and went to swing the backpack on her back, only to wince in pain at the motion. The backpack fell from her hands and the cans clattered onto the wooden floor.

"I think you and I both know hygiene isn't on our top priority list right now." Beca shrugged as she leaned down to collect the cans. "So you've been the one raiding this town huh?"

"Yeah… I mean… I didn't think there would be anyone else. Otherwise I would have never have come here. " Chloe replied, clenching her jaw. "And considering personal hygiene, I've got a shower. And a razor." She looked at the brunette meaningfully.

"Are you saying I should shave?" Beca asked, crossing her arms. "God, you're so judgemental." She chuckled softly. "I'm gonna check the bedrooms. I saw that a teenage boy lived here, maybe he got some nice shirts and flannels I can take with me." She turned around and climbed up the stairs to raid the closets.

Chloe huffed and sat back down on the couch, clutching her shoulder painfully. She hated being a burden to herself. She didn't want to depend on anyone and hated the fact that Beca made it so easy for the redhead to talk to her. She despised people like that. So easy going and worryless. She clutched her gun, never losing her focus and sitting on the edge of the couch, staring at the door that could be kicked down by a horde of those creatures any minute now.

 

Beca came back down in a while, wearing now a black band shirt and a black and blue checkered flannel. She had also changed her pants from jeans to black ripped jeans. "I hit the jackpot man. That dude was my size. The girl? Best pants in the world." She smirked as she put her backpack down again. "Here." She threw the redhead a grey shirt. "So you don't have to wear your ripped one."

Chloe balled the shirt up in her hands. "Thanks." She turned around, shaking off her flannel again and slipping her old tank top over her head. She checked on the bandages before putting on the shirt. It felt nice against her skin.

"Good." The brunette looked out of the window at the darkening sky. "Do you have a flashlight?"

The redhead shrugged on her flannel and turned around. "Yeah." She kneeled down and pulled two flashlights from her backpack. "You can apply it to your backpack so your hands are free." She explained, handing one to the other girl.

"Thanks." Beca applied it to her backpack before turning it on. "I hope the batteries are full. How long is it to your safe house?" She asked as she looked around the living room. She noticed a small dresser she didn’t pay attention to before and walked over to it. "Bingo." She smirked as she grabbed some ammo.

"It's about a two hour walk." Chloe replied, clutching her gun to her chest, waiting for the brunette to be ready to leave.

"Good, then let's not waste any more time. Lead the way." Beca said, motioning towards the door with her gun.

Chloe nodded and opened the door, looking around for any danger before making her way outside. They walked towards the road, the redhead’s eyes scanning the treeline.

The brunette eyed the girl in front of her suspiciously. She still hadn't made up her mind yet whether she should trust Chloe or not. But she was really hungry and tired, and a shower sounded nice as well. She would definitely need to make an entry in her journal. It always helped her make decisions or plan out her next raid, and she really needed to weigh the arguments so she could finalize her decision about the redhead.


	2. The safe house

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey losers (; Enjoy some more of Chloe and Beca getting to know each other and even... touching each other~  
> Yeah okay no but you're gonna like it, I swear

Chloe didn't look back the entire journey, knowing that Beca was still behind her by the sound of her footsteps. At one point, the redhead stopped, resulting in the other girl almost walking into her. When the brunette wanted to ask something, Chloe hissed for her to be quiet. She focused her hearing on the soft shuffling footsteps and in the next moment, a small group of zombies appeared from behind a tree. The redhead moved like a ninja, pulling Beca along with her, ducking behind a tree and pinning the other girl against it. She pushed herself against the small brunette, trying to calm down her own beating heart.

Beca's breath hitched as Chloe pushed her against the tree. She felt the other girl’s hands against her boobs and wanted to protest but bit her tongue as the zombies shuffled past them really close. So she focused on breathing slow and soft, trying not to make any noise.

The redhead felt the brunette's heartbeat beneath her hand and looked into her eyes, warning her to not make a noise. She started counting in her head as the zombies softly shuffled past them.

When the zombies had passed, Beca was quick to shove the redhead away. "Let's continue." She whispered, not wanting to catch the attention of the dead creatures. She was glad it was dark, otherwise Chloe would’ve seen the faint blush on her cheeks.

The redhead nodded and they went on their way.

 

After walking for nearly two hours, Chloe stopped again. "So, there are sound traps all around. You have to follow me and be quiet." She husked, a little annoyed.

Beca just rolled her eyes and motioned the other girl to go forward.

Chloe let out a sigh and proceeded to very carefully walk through the woods, pointing out the several sound traps to the brunette. They stepped over the small lines that were set up until a small house appeared into their vision.

The smaller girl couldn't help but let out a small whistle. The house was looking more like a fortress, being barricaded all around. "You never worried that a survivor comes by and takes over it?" She whispered.

"Every day." Chloe whispered back. She dug her hand into her shirt, retrieving a rusty key from her bra. She used the key to open a box hidden in a bush, and grabbed a keyring filled with keys from it. She used the keys to unlocked the several locks on the front door. When she opened it and Beca wanted to walk in, she grabbed the small brunette by the shoulder. She shook her head and gave the smaller girl a warning look. Kneeling down, she took a brick from her backpack and threw it into the house, listening intently. "There's obviously no one there!" She heard the brunette say beside her and Chloe's eyes widened in anger. "Shut the fuck up!"

Beca rolled her eyes. She brushed past the redhead, walking into the house. "I don't fucking see why we should wait for 5 minutes when no one is here!" She exclaimed. Just then, a person dropped down from the ceiling, punching her into her back which sent the brunette forward. She stumbled before landing face first onto the ground. "What the fuck's wrong with you weirdo?!" She coughed as she turned around, handgun in hand. The person was faster and already shot at her. She could roll away just in time, hearing the bullet ricochet off the ground next to her.

Chloe immediately reacted by lunging forward and kicking the person, who was standing with their back turned to her, in the popliteal. The person's legs buckled and they fell to the floor, shooting their gun at the ceiling in the process. The redhead turned the person around and sat down on them, straddling their hips while she aimed her gun at the person's temple. "Are you alone?" She spat, her eyes extremely angry.

The person just glared up at Chloe before they wriggled their hands free, grabbing Chloe's head and yanking it down, smashing it against the cold floor next to them. The redhead fell limply onto the floor, so the person rolled out from under her. Beca was already there, punching them in the gut with her knee. The person cried out and fell back onto the floor. She delivered a swift kick against the person's head, making them drop onto the floor with a soft groan. "Take that you fucking asshole." She said through gritted teeth, kicking them into the side. She proceeded to grab them, dragging them outside. She had memorized the traps and swung the person into a line. An alarm went off and Beca took a few steps back, just in time for a huge piano to come crashing down onto the person, crushing them. "I don't want to know how that got up there." She commented and turned around, calmly walking into the house and locking the door behind her. Then, she walked over to Chloe who was still lying there, unconscious. She rolled her over only to discover that she had an open wound above her eyebrow. "Goddamnit. Stop wasting my fucking medicine supply." The brunette cursed as she sat down her backpack, retrieving the first aid kit. She then proceeded to clean the wound before putting butterfly plasters over it. "That'll scar." She sighed. She looked around, spotting a couch not far from them. She wordlessly lifted Chloe up, using all her strength to lay her down onto the couch before collapsing on the chair next to the couch. "Heavier than you look." She sighed as she got out her journal.

_Journal entry 74.1. I met a girl. Her name's Chloe. Saved her from some zombies that were trying to eat her. I tended to her shoulder and had to go back to get her backpack and that’s where I finally murdered Jesse. It sucked, and I still feel shitty for it. But I dealt with his death as soon as he turned into one of them anyways. I got the backpack as a part of a deal, so she led me to her hideout in return. Why did I agree to follow her? I don't know. It'd be the first time I'm surely protected from the zombies. Although there just was an intruder. Who I murdered. So I don't know how safe this place really is. I also don't know if I should trust Chloe. She seems like she sees me as this clumsy idiot who doesn't know shit. What do I know about her? She seems like she's going to use up a lot of my first aid kit cause she gets hurt easily. No wait. I am not sticking around. Two days here, then I'm gone. There's surely another, better house that is warm, stacked with food, safe and... Ack. I'm not sure what to make of this whole situation yet. I will definitely keep my backpack close. For now, I will rest. Goodnight._

Beca closed the journal before stashing it back in her backpack. She made herself comfortable in the chair before closing her eyes, her backpack hooked around her arm to secure it. She rested her arms on her stomach and crossed them. Soon, she drifted off to sleep, snoring lightly.

 

A while later, Chloe woke up with a start, gasping as she sat up quickly. However, her head swam and she let out a soft moan as she scrambled for her gun. She looked around angrily when she spotted the brunette lying on the chair next to her. She was sleeping. Chloe bit her lip as a stinging pain made itself known in her head. "Hey!" She yelled, hoping it would wake up the snoring brunette.

Beca woke up startled, her hand immediately on her gun. When her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she made out a redhead staring at her. "What?" She asked sleepily.

"Where the fuck is my gun? And what the hell happened?" The redhead asked angrily. "Where did that guy go?"

"Your gun is probably in the hallway. And you need to renew one of your traps. A fucking piano? That's so cartoon like." The brunette sneered.

"Probably!?" Chloe exclaimed, trying to get up from the couch. "I NEED my gun!" She spat.

"Well sorry, you're heavy as fuck and besides, I still could've protected us." Beca rolled her eyes. "This is really a warm welcoming. Next time I'll just leave you on the floor and go. God, I'm so pathetic." The brunette chuckled weakly. "Go get your fucking gun. I'm going back to sleep."

The redhead’s brow furrowed. She didn't understand the other girl at all. Why would she save her? And then get angry? She shook her head and made her way over to the hallway, holding onto the wall for support. She saw her gun laying in a corner of the hallway and grabbed it, clutching it to her chest thankfully. After making sure the door was closed correctly and all the locks were in place, Chloe made her way back to the living room, standing by the window and looking out of it.

Beca had taken the spot on the couch and happily laid down on it, draping a blanket over her. It felt good to lie down again and not sit in a tree or do power naps in chairs. She hugged her backpack tightly, her rifle ready for use next to her. She fell asleep pretty quickly, exhaustion taking over her.

 

When the brunette woke up a few hours later, Chloe hadn't moved a muscle and was still staring outside the window. Her tired blue eyes scanned the treeline.

Beca sat up, stretching. "That was a kick." She announced her presence. "What are you doing?"

"On watch." The redhead replied softly. She never stopped scanning the woods.

"This entire time? You're crazy man." The smaller girl shook her head as she got up. "Go to sleep. I'm on watch now."

Chloe shook her head. "I can't. Not till I've counted till 9000." She whispered.

"Why the fuck are you counting till 9000?!" Beca asked. "And where are you at right now?"

The redhead let out a sigh. "You won't understand. Just… I'm at 8000."

The brunette let out an annoyed groan. "Fine. I'll go take a fucking shower then." She grabbed her stuff before making her way upstairs. She angrily dropped everything onto the bathroom floor, stripping her clothes. She found it quite convenient that there was a washing machine in the room as well, so she threw all her clothes that were in the backpack and the ones she had worn in there, turning it on. She discovered the razors Chloe was talking about earlier that day, looking at them. "Who gives a fucking damn? Just because she criticized it. It’s gonna grow back anyways." She huffed and stepped into the shower, turning on the water. As soon as the warm water hit her body, she let out a satisfied whimper. It felt good to have warm water running down her body. She made a mental note to ask the redhead where she got it from and why she had electricity. She froze. Chloe had electricity. She could charge her phone if it still worked and check if there were any survivors out there. She made another mental note to do that. But then again, why did the redhead not already try that? Or she already did and either didn’t want to share the results or there was no one out there. Phones aren’t something important anymore. Beca huffed and showered, the water becoming less and less dirty, her hair less and less tangled. When she finished, she dried herself off, looking at herself in the mirror. She had lost weight, but also gained some muscles. Her biceps was bigger and her stomach was more toned, abs slightly showing. She gave herself an approving nod. She looked hot when she wasn't covered in mud, blood and sweat. Her stomach rumbled again, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in a day. "Shut up." She hissed and got out her clothes from the washing machine. She realized that she didn't have any clothes now, so she hung up her washed ones, wrapped the towel tighter around her body and stepped out of the bathroom. She walked into a bedroom, opening the closet. It was filled with floral dresses, bright colored shirts and skirts. She immediately closed the door again. "That. Is too girly and inconvenient." She cringed, making her way into another room. When she opened the closet there, she let out an approving hum. She grabbed a grey shirt, matching it with a black, white and blue checkered flannel and put on some jeans. She grabbed her backpack and gun from the bathroom before making her way down to Chloe. "You done yet?" She asked, leaning against the doorframe.

The girl in question turned around when she heard Beca's voice, opening her mouth to answer. Her eyes widened however when she saw what the brunette was wearing. "Where did you get that from?" She asked angrily, walking over to the other girl and tugging roughly on the flannel.

"The closet?" Beca offered. "I threw all my clothes into the washing machine, not realizing I would still need clothes now." She shrugged. "What's the big deal?" She retorted.

"You… you can't… you can't wear those, okay?" The redhead replied, her voice breaking. She shook her head. "You have to take them off."

"Why? It's only temporary anyways. Until my clothes are dry." The brunette retorted. "Why is it such a big deal if I wear your clothes? Don't want my scent?" She challenged.

"Those aren't mine." Chloe said through gritted teeth. "Could you please… just… take them off? You can have anything else. Just… not those." The redhead begged.

"The other closet had so many bright colored stuff and dresses. Dresses!" Beca threw her hands in the air. "I'd rather be dead than being caught in those clothes."

Chloe took a deep breath. "If you… if you don't take them off now, I'll have to take them from you. Please." She said softly. "I have some other clothes in my backpack you could wear."

"Show me first." The smaller girl retorted, crossing her arms. She didn't get why the redhead was getting worked up over clothes. It wasn't like they had any meaning.

Chloe groaned as she got down, taking a folded up pack of jeans, a white tank top and some red flannel. She handed it to Beca rather roughly.

"Geez. Fine." The other girl rolled her eyes as she reluctantly stripped from the clothes. She threw them at the taller girl before putting on the clothes Chloe gave her. "Better?" She asked.

The redhead turned around without a word and marched upstairs, hanging up the clothes in their respective place again. She let out a frustrated sigh and sat down on the bed, clutching her painful head.

Beca rolled her eyes and sat down on the windowsill. She leaned against the frame and prepped one foot against the opposite side, pulling the other leg up. She started cleaning her rifle as she occasionally glanced outside. She saw a few zombies pass by who sometimes avoided the traps by sheer luck. She had to chuckle when a zombie kept walking against a tree.

 

Apart from being knocked out for a while, Chloe hadn't slept in a few days and felt herself slipping in and out of consciousness. She groaned and got up, walking downstairs to find Beca on the window sill. She wiped her eyes tiredly and sat down on the side of the couch. "Look… I'm… I'm sorry okay." She spoke up after a while. "I think it'd best if you leave."

"Tsk." The brunette said. "You're lucky I'm not in the mood to throw a fit." She hopped down from the window sill, leaning against it. "You're also the strangest person I've ever met."

"Why?" The redhead asked, resting her head on her knee tiredly.

"Who the fuck cares about clothing like their life depended on it?" Beca chuckled. "And you change from angry to nice to rude. What did I do to you? Like sorry I helped you." She raised her hands defensively.

Chloe sighed. She got up to stand next to the other girl. "Okay… well… I'm sorry for being angry. I don't know how… how to act around you. I need to stay focused a hundred percent of the time, all the time and you… you are making me lose focus." She admitted, looking into the brunette's eyes. "I can't… I'm not good with people, okay? Not since the dead started walking. I don't know who I can trust. I can only depend on myself."

"Hm." Beca hummed, crossing her arms, staring at the girl in front of her. "Trust is really something someone has to earn huh? And it's truly easier when you're a loner. Don't have to look out for other people." She blew out a breath. She wanted to say that she trusted Chloe more than she liked to and that it scared her. But she bit her tongue, remaining silent.

"And those clothes? They belonged to a friend. We can't just take them." The other girl whispered, averting her gaze. "I'll… I'll try to be less angry, okay?"

"So... You're letting me stay?" The brunette asked, raising her eyebrow as she looked at the redhead in disbelief.

"I'm still deciding." Chloe replied, her expression unchanged.

"Hmph." Beca's hopeful expression faltered. Just then, the brunette's stomach rumbled loudly.

The redhead scoffed. "You should tell me if you're hungry." She said, turning around and motioning for the brunette to follow her.

"Sorry. Just never fit into the conversation." Beca shrugged as she followed the other girl into the kitchen.

Chloe ordered the brunette to sit down. She opened the pantry, which was filled to the brim with all kinds of cans and packets. She grabbed two cups of instant noodles, plopping them on the counter. "You know, I don't understand you." She started while she used the stove to heat up water she got from a big carton.

"Why?" Beca asked as she watched the other girl.

"If I were in your situation, I would have left myself to die and then steal my loot." The redhead deadpanned. "Why did you save me?"

"My brain would've killed me for it." The smaller girl shrugged. "Can't abandon somebody in need. Kinda sucks." She sighed. "But I can regain my items I gave away in the next house I raid, so."

"I wouldn't have thought about saving anyone if it would endanger me. That's what I don't understand about you." Chloe replied with a frown. Meanwhile, the water started cooking and the redhead poured it into the cups of noodles, closing the lids so they could cook for 3 minutes.

"Eh. It's not like I got a life worth living for I guess. Makes throwing yourself into life and death situations so much easier." Beca shrugged.

"That's just… stupid." Chloe huffed as she plopped the cup down in front of the other girl, handing her a fork. She got her own cup and sat down opposite of the brunette, twirling the noodles around her fork lazily while looking at Beca.

"Eh." The brunette shrugged as she dug into her food, eating it rather hastily.

Chloe ate slowly, stealing looks at the smaller girl every now and then. They both ate in silence, the occasional slurping of their noodles the only sound in the room.

 

Beca finished her food, patting her stomach satisfied. "Nothing like a good meal after almost two days." She sighed happily.

The redhead finished her meal not much later, immediately getting up to clean up the pan and throw away their cups. Her hands scrubbed the pan angrily.

The brunette raised her eyebrow at the behavior. "How come you have warm water and electricity?" She asked, leaning against the counter.

"We have a generator. I mean… I do. I have a generator." Chloe replied, not looking up from her work. "The shower water is okay to shower, but not okay to drink. So I have to collect bottles with water for that. And the stove uses the electricity from the generator, so does the shower." She explained.

"Ah. Smart." Beca nodded. She looked out of the window and saw the sun rising slowly. "Guess it's like 6 am already huh?"

"Doesn't matter." The taller girl responded shortly. "You can hang up your laundry and it'll dry in the sun."

"True. I'll get to it I guess." The brunette stated and turned around, making her way up into the bathroom. She grabbed her somewhat dry clothes and put it on the dry rack that was on the balcony. She went back down, plopping down on the couch in the living room.

Meanwhile, Chloe had finished cleaning up and looked at Beca from the window sill. She let out a sigh and went to retrieve something from the back of the couch. She pulled out a guitar and put it on her lap. "You want to hear some music?" She asked softly.

"I really don't get you." Beca shook her head. "But why the fuck not."

"You don't have to." The redhead replied and started strumming the guitar softly. Her fingers squeezed down the strings, playing several chords. She played a soft instrumental country song, closing her eyes, being completely engulfed in the music.

The brunette clenched her jaw as she sat back, shuffling through her backpack. She let the music fill the room, eventually humming along quietly.

Chloe felt a soft smile tug at her lips as her panicked heart calmed down and she felt relaxation wash over her. She played to her heart's content, her fingers pressing down to play the chords skillfully.

Beca got out the food cans she had, putting them on the table. She also grabbed her water bottles, putting them down next to the cans. She rummaged a little more, retrieving all kinds of items. Deep down in the abyss of her backpack, she found what she was looking for. "Gotcha." She muttered as she grabbed her phone along with her charger. She put it in the back of her pocket before putting all the items back into her backpack.

The redhead's fingers stilled. "What are you doing?" She asked softly.

"Checking if you stole anything." The brunette deadpanned as she put her journal back in its place. "And I'm offering you what little I have. So it doesn't look like I've been stealing food from you." She motioned to the three cans standing around.

"You don't have to. You have done more than enough." Chloe replied with a frown.

"It's whatever." Beca shrugged. "Actually, I'm offering those for a deal."

"What kind of deal?" The other girl asked, hugging the guitar close to her.

"Your electricity to charge my phone." The smaller girl stated.

Chloe's eyes softened. "You… you can charge it. But it won't be of much use. You can't call anyone because the connections have been down since the day the apocalypse started." She thought about her own phone, which she had stashed under her pillow, fully charged.

"Bullshit. Those satellites are still flying around the earth, so god help me if I don't get a signal." Beca squinted her eyes at the redhead.

"The satellites might be there. But the technique on earth that keeps the signals running? They aren't. I'm sorry, Beca." The redhead replied, looking down sadly.

"That's such fucking bullshit. And setting up a wifi router? Does that not work as well?" The brunette asked, getting a little angry.

"No… Beca… the world has no signal left. Everything was controlled by robots, computers and technicians. They left so it doesn't work anymore.” Chloe explained, hoping the other girl would understand.

Beca let out a long, angry sigh. "I'll be back." She announced and left the room. Shortly after, soft grunting could be heard, along with a frequent thudding noise.

The taller girl sighed as well and went upstairs, getting out her own phone. She laid down on the bed and went into her gallery. Her finger softly tapped the screen, clicking on a video. A bubbly, blonde girl popped up, smiling brightly at her. "Take the picture!" The blonde said between her teeth after smiling into the camera for a while and Chloe heard herself chuckling from behind the camera. "It's a video, isn't it?" Aubrey spoke up again, getting angry but laughing. She pulled a crazy face and both girls laughed, as the screen turned black. The redhead saw her own teary eyed reflection in the screen and sniffled softly. She hugged her phone to her chest, wiping her eyes.

 

When Beca had calmed down, she looked at her bloody knuckles. She definitely had to work on her anger management issues. She went back into the living room, grabbing her first aid kit and bandaging her hand because it hurt. A lot. "Goddamnit." She silently cursed. She plugged in her phone anyways, smiling softly when it showed that it was charging. "Finally." She breathed out.

Chloe pulled herself together, stashed her phone into her pocket and went downstairs to find the brunette charging her phone. She noticed her bandaged hand and shook her head. "If you ever get angry at me, make sure you kill me before punching the shit out of me, okay?" She spoke up, sitting down on the couch. She let out a yawn and tested out her painful shoulder.

"Don't worry, I don't punch people. Only inanimate objects." Beca shrugged. "How does it feel?" She asked, motioning towards the shoulder.

"Hurts like a bitch." The other girl winced. Her fingers clutched at it.

"Hang on." The smaller girl stood up and grabbed her first aid kit, plopping down next to the redhead. "Let me see."

"How many times are you going to ask me to strip?" Chloe deadpanned.

"More than I'd like." Beca retorted. "Go strip now."

The redhead shrugged off her flannel and took her shirt off over her head. The strap of the black bra she was wearing slipped down her shoulder and she quickly put it back in place.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "It's not like those things are even remotely sexual." She said, motioning towards the redhead's chest. Then, she proceeded to remove the bandage, inhaling sharply. "It's a lot darker now." She grabbed some pain relieving medicine and applied it on the area, being a little more gentle with it than last time. Then, she applied a new bandage. "Maybe cooling it helps a little." She suggested as she packed up her stuff again.

Chloe nodded. "I wish we had some ice. But the freezer won't get cold enough on the generator’s energy." She moved her shoulder, clutching it with her free hand. "It feels a little bit better though. Thank you." She smiled shyly, looking at the brunette.

"Woah, you _can_ smile." Beca gasped sarcastically. "Guess you're not that emotionally dead as I thought you were."

The other girl's smile widened. "I guess not, huh?" She grabbed her shirt, trying to put it back on but getting her head stuck in it. She tried to appear casual as she frantically tried to get it over her head.

The brunette chuckled as she stilled the redhead's arms. She proceeded to pull down the shirt calmly, letting it fall over the redhead's torso. "Patience is the key."

Chloe blushed. "Thanks." She pulled the flannel back on and looked at Beca. Her eyes fell onto her bandaged hand and she grabbed it. "D-Does it hurt?"

"Eh. I've had worse." Beca shrugged.

Before she knew what she was doing, the redhead's fingers softly traced the brunette's bandages and fingers. She looked at her hand as if she was hypnotized.

"Uh..." Beca cleared her throat awkwardly. "Could I... get my hand back?"

Chloe immediately let go of the brunette's hands, blushing. "Sorry."

The other girl raised her eyebrow, weirded out. "Alright..." She said. "Since I don't know what to do with myself, I'd suggest renewing that trap I used yesterday."

"Yeah. The piano could be used again. It's pretty heavy though.” The redhead replied, still a little dazed.

"Are you sure? That thing got smashed into pieces." Beca retorted.

"Oh… Well then maybe not." Chloe replied sheepishly, rubbing her chin.

"How did you manage to lift it up anyways?" The brunette asked curiously. “You don’t look like you got the strength of a dozen horses.”

"Uhm… with help… of a friend." The redhead replied, obviously getting nervous while they were on this topic.

"Where is this alleged friend? Did you have a falling out?! Aren't you worried they're gonna come back and murder you so they can take this house?!" Beca pressed, inching closer to Chloe.  
"They are not coming back." The other girl replied, her mouth forming a thin line.   
"What makes you so sure huh?" The smaller girl asked, being right next to the redhead now, their legs brushing together.   
"They. are. not. coming. back." Chloe spoke firmly, her voice strained. "Believe me."   
Beca shrugged as she got up. "Whatever you say. When they come back I'll be first to tell you "I told you so"."   
"They won't… They're gone, okay?" The taller girl replied, her voice breaking.   
"Oh." The brunette suddenly felt really guilty when it clicked. "You mean they died?"   
"They're just gone." The redhead repeated, turning around to face the window.   
Beca sighed. "Sorry." She apologized after a while. "I shouldn't have pressed."   
"No, you shouldn't have." Chloe whispered. She stared outside, empty eyed.   
The brunette cleared her throat awkwardly. "I'll be fixing the trap. You do... whatever." She turned around and walked towards the door, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. She readied her rifle in case zombies were passing by and unlocked the door. She knew that the other girl now had the chance to lock the door on her and never let her back in, but she didn't care. It wasn't like she expected from Chloe to keep her around. She made her way over to the trap, carefully stepping over other ones. "Good. How do we do that?" She wondered aloud as she looked at the broken and bloody pieces. "And more importantly, what should we do with you?" She asked, kicking the dead person's leg. She looked around and saw that it was safe to toss the broken pieces to her left, so she did that. Piece by piece she removed the pile of garbage until the person was clearly visible. Beca had to gag a little as she looked at the corpse. The piano had smashed their ribs, probably piercing through their lungs and other intestinal organs. Blood had come out of their mouth and nose, and a huge piece was stuck in their head, probably having destroyed their brain. Hence the reason they weren’t zombified and gurgling at her. The arm was twisted weirdly and halfway tucked underneath the body. "Man, I'm really sorry." The brunette breathed out. She had to do the inevitable and touch the person to move them out of the way. Pushing her feeling of disgust away, she grabbed the other arm, pulling them away from the trap. "Jesus. Do people really become that heavy when they die?" She panted as she took a break. Then, the girl looked around, trying to figure out what to do with the body. "I'm just going to dump you a few miles from here. The zombies can have a nice snack." She let her rifle hang from her body as she moved her way through the traps, careful not to step into any and to not accidentally set one off with the dead person. She kept dragging for a while, her heavy breathing and the occasional sound of birds singing filling the woods. Once she was sure she was far away, she let go of the body. "Jesus. That was enough exercise for a week." She took a break to catch her breath before she made her way back, covering up the trail she left by dragging the body.

  
As soon as Beca shut the door behind her, Chloe fell apart. She thought about Aubrey, her smiling blonde best friend. Curled up on the couch, she let her body rock with sobs. "Shouldn't have left her." She repeated over and over again, until there were no more tears left. She sniffled and wiped her nose on her shirt. "Pathetic." She concluded softly, her voice nearly gone after crying. She blinked at the door tiredly, wondering when and if the brunette would come back.

After staring at it for a while, her eyes began to droop as the tiredness took over her. She fell asleep, hugging her gun close to her body and a frown on her face.

  
Beca was walking back when a bird flew close by. "Dude!" She jumped, looking after the bird. Soon, more birds approached, all flying rather low, and the brunette threw herself onto the ground, covering her head. Once they passed, loudly chirping, she looked up, only to see a dark cloud approaching her. "What the fuck?!" She scrambled to her feet and ran into the direction the birds flew in, looking behind her back frequently. The cloud was creeping up on her mercilessly, and with it a buzzing noise became louder and louder. "What is this, the fucking Hunger Games?!" The brunette cursed. Her eyes fell onto a small entry into the ground, and she quickly dived into it. The huge swarm of insects passed by, darkening everything around her. She tried to collect her breath, watching the scenario baffled and with fascination. Once the insects had passed, she stepped out, looking after the dark cloud. "And here I thought I had seen everything." Beca shook her head as she turned around to walk back. The only problem was, she didn't know where to go. "Fuck!" She exclaimed.

  
After a few hours of soundless sleeping, Chloe woke up from a nightmare. Her eyes shot open wide and she let out a soft yelp as she woke up, breathing heavily. She looked around for any danger, clutching her gun. When she noticed none, she tried to calm down her breathing and sat up from the couch, cursing herself for falling asleep so recklessly. Her hands were sweaty and she wiped them on her black jeans with a scowl. As she got up, she whipped her gun over her shoulder and felt the sore muscles protesting immediately. She wondered where Beca was and if the brunette had already returned. "Beca?" She called out. When no reply came, she looked at the darkening sky with a frown. If the other girl was still out there, she could be in serious danger. The redhead bit her lip as she fought a mental battle with herself. A day ago, she wouldn't have cared what happened to the brunette. But right now, the thought of Beca in any form of danger made Chloe feel extremely panicked. So she gathered her stuff, putting her phone that she had previously put on the table in her back pocket and shook her head at herself when she opened the door. "Stupid." She mumbled as she went on her way to find the brunette.   
Beca had been strolling around for hours now. The sun was setting again and the brunette couldn't believe she couldn't find the house again. She was sure she had passed the same spot for a few times now. She let out a sigh of frustration, leaning back against a tree. She was giving up hope that she would find the house again. She grabbed her last water bottle out of her backpack and started sipping on it. She had two options. Keep searching and eventually find the house, or keep walking into the same direction until she was out of those damn woods. "Time for you, Penny." She sighed as she got out her lucky coin. It had helped her through a lot of difficult decisions. "Heads is I keep looking, tails is I give up. Got it?" She asked the coin and flipped it. It landed on heads. "Great." Beca groaned as she got up again. She turned on the flashlight Chloe gave her as it was getting difficult to see already and she started her journey, hoping to find the safe house soon.   
Chloe had been rounding the perimeter, deciding that Beca should be close if she was setting up the trap. When she found nothing, only the piano pieces tossed to the side and a little blood on them, she let out a frustrated sigh. "Don't stray from the plan." She whispered, gritting her teeth. She went back to the place where the piano trap had gone off and searched for clues. She was about to give up and go back into the house when she spotted something on the sandy forest floor. It looked like tracks of a body being dragged and it send a wave of panic through Chloe. Was Beca attacked and dragged off? She started to sprint as she followed the trail, her flashlight illuminating it. She was able to follow it for a good ten minutes when suddenly the trail disappeared and she came to a sudden halt. "What the fuck? Did she fly off?" The redhead wondered aloud, looking around confusedly.   
Beca has had it. Every tree started looking the same as the other, and she was getting more and more frustrated as she kept stumbling over branches, roots and small bumps on the floor. She was really glad that she hadn't seen any zombies. But that didn't make her lessen her grip on the rifle. Her head perked up as she saw a flashlight in the distance. She quickly shut off her own and stepped forward more cautiously. She had the element of surprise on her side and could tackle the person easily. When she was almost close enough, she stumbled over a large object on the floor, sending her flying forward into the mud. "God fucking damnit!" She exclaimed as she got up quickly. Her eyes went wide when she realized she had just given away her location. She grabbed her gun and squinted her eyes as the flashlight shone on her. "I got a bigger gun than you!" She spat out angrily.   
Chloe froze when a person fell out of the bushes right in front of her, so suddenly they seemed to have appeared out of thin air. She shone her flashlight on them and relief washed over her as she saw Beca staring into it angrily. "Oh, thank god." The redhead said and before she could stop herself, she engulfed the smaller girl in a hug.   
"Oh my god it's you!" Beca wrapped her arms around the other girl, squeezing her tightly. "Those woods are no fucking fun."   
Chloe took in the brunette's smell and felt a blush tint her cheeks as she felt how close she was to her. She didn't want to ever let go of the other girl, so she buried her face into Beca's shoulder. "Why did you go away without telling me?" She mumbled.   
The brunette felt a little awkward and uneasy as she wriggled out of the hug. "I didn't _not_ tell you where I went. I told you I would fix the fucking trap, which I didn't... Yet... Anyways, I dragged the body away so the zombies wouldn't discover our little house. When I wanted to come back, this swarm of insects attacked me and I had to run away and hide, which made me lose track of the way back, so I have struggled the whole fucking day to find back." Beca explained, her voice a little higher than usual due to the anger and frustration, crossing her arms protectively. "Sorry for making you worry or whatever." She looked away, clenching her jaw.   
"Insects?" The redhead asked, mirroring Beca's stance by crossing her arms. She felt a little embarrassed about melting into the brunette like that, but it was like her body was craving the hug so much after all these weeks of no physical contact with anyone.   
"Yeah. Made the birds flee from them as well. So I knew better than to stay and let them wash over me." Beca shrugged.   
"Okay… Well I'm... like really glad you're okay." Chloe mumbled.   
"Whatever." The brunette shook her head. "Lead the way back, I'm tired of seeing the trees."   
The taller girl nodded, turning around with a small smile. They walked for about 20 minutes when the redhead stopped suddenly, sniffing the air.   
"What?" Beca asked, regaining her composure as she had almost bumped into the girl in front of her. The smell hit her too and she raised her eyebrow. "Is something... Burning?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangers are the key to any frustrated reader. Especially if you abandon the fic for a year afterwards. I mean, not gonna do that, but... Gotta torture ya


	3. On the run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhhhhh, what's burning? Find out! Because it's not the building love the pair has for each other!

Chloe's eyes widened and she started running, making her way through the forest blindly. She rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks. Huge flames were engulfing her small safe house, the fire crackling, lighting up the evening sky. "No…" The redhead choked out a sob and fell to her knees, looking at the house defeatedly, tears stinging in her eyes.    
"Shit!" Beca's eyes widened as she took in the sight. She noticed two figures fleeing the scene, so she aimed her gun, shooting blindly at them. She hit one of them in the back of their leg, making them cry out in pain and fall. The other figure continued fleeing and the brunette made her way over to the wounded person. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" She yelled as she reached them.

"That's for murdering Bobby!" The blonde woman in her mid thirties spat out. She looked into the smaller girl’s eyes angrily.

"Well sorry, he attacked us and it looked like he was gonna rob us! We were just defending ourselves!" Beca growled as she kneeled down next to the woman. “You have absolutely no idea what you’ve just done.”

"You murder Bobby, you get no supplies." The blonde said through gritted teeth. 

The brunette grabbed the woman's leg, pressing her thumb into the shot wound, making the other cry out in pain. "You ruined weeks, hell, MONTHS of supply! You destroyed memories!" Beca exclaimed, recalling the pictures she saw hung up around the house. "You ruined the safest house around here, just to get revenge on your dead comrade?!" 

The blonde looked at her, hate in her eyes. "That's what you get. That’s how the world works now, sweet cheeks." 

The next thing the brunette knew was a gunshot that could be heard, and a sharp pain in her shoulder. She fell back, groaning. Her hand flew to her shoulder and she felt her stomach turn when she felt warm blood gushing over her fingers. 

"Stay the fuck away from Martha!" A male voice exclaimed and Beca could hear him reloading his gun. 

"Fuck you!" The small girl retorted, flipping them off. She scrambled to her feet however, turning around and grabbing the sobbing redhead, who was still kneeled down, staring at the burning house in front of her. "Let's get the fuck out of here." She hissed as she dragged Chloe behind her.   
The redhead whimpered and struggled against Beca’s strong grip as the brunette tried to pull her away from the house where her heart laid. She thought about all the pictures, Aubrey's clothes and her guitar. Tears were running down her cheeks and she finally gave in, following Beca blindly, not caring about where they were going.

  
They walked for hours without stopping or looking behind them. Beca’s grip on Chloe’s hand never loosened. The brunette was fuming and at the same time she felt extremely sad and disappointed. She felt guilty for getting lost. If she hadn't hidden from the sudden swarm of bugs and lost her way, Chloe wouldn't have come looking for her and the others wouldn't have had a chance to set the house on fire. She just hoped the other girl wouldn't be too angry at  her, seeing as she obviously had a deep connection with the house. Of course it wasn’t directly the brunette’s fault that the house was gone now, but she still felt responsible. And for some reason, Beca really felt the need for the redhead to like her. So much that the thought of the taller girl being angry at her made her throat close up and her stomach feel heavy.

Suddenly, Chloe dug her heels into the sand, making the brunette stop. "I can't." The tall girl simply choked out. Her eyes were red from crying and Beca could see how pale she was.

She sighed as she looked around, spotting an abandoned old shack near them. “C’mon.” She dragged a reluctant Chloe towards it, closing the door behind them. Then, she dropped down onto the floor, burying her head into her hands. "I'm so fucking sorry." She breathed out, too afraid to look at the other girl. 

The redhead kneeled down next to the other girl, got out the flashlight and put it on the small desk standing around, turning it so Beca was in the spotlight. Then, she started taking off the brunette's backpack and flannel, her lips pulled in a straight line, which made the smaller girl look up in confusion. "The bullet probably went straight through." Chloe stated, inspecting Beca's shoulder, pushing the brunette’s bloody shoulder strap of her top aside.   
"Huh?" The smaller girl asked, looking perplexed at Chloe who had just taken off her flannel nonchalantly and now inspected her shoulder like it was the most normal thing to do in this situation. Acting like nothing happened. She had completely forgotten that she had been shot, the adrenaline making her not focus on the pain. "I don't... What?"   
"You got shot. We take care of injuries first. Then we talk." Chloe simply replied, shrugging off her backpack. "Please turn around."   
Beca remembered now, the pain making itself known. "Oh. Right. Yeah." She turned around, hissing as she moved her arm and pain shot through her skin.    
The redhead inspected the wound further. "It went straight through. You're lucky. Do you want me to stitch this up?" She asked, letting her fingers run over Beca's back carefully.    
"You know how to do that? Because then, be my guest." The other girl shuddered slightly at Chloe’s touch, wincing as another sharp pain shot through her body.   
"Yeah. It's gonna hurt like a bitch though. But it'll make the wound heal faster." The redhead explained, matter of factly.   
"I know." Beca scoffed. "Just get it over with." She motioned to her backpack. "You know what my first aid kit looks like. It's got a needle and some string for it in it. And hand me some Advil."   
Chloe nodded and went to work, grabbing the Advil and handing it to the brunette, along with a water bottle. She got the first aid kit out and zipped it open, taking the needle and the bundle of thread. She took her lighter from her backpack and grabbed some rubbing alcohol from it. She collected it all and placed it next to Beca with a frown.   
The other girl had taken the Advil, waiting for it to kick in. "What are you frowning about?" She asked as she glanced at the girl behind her.   
"I'm… I'm realizing this is the last of our supplies." The redhead whispered. She grabbed the bottle of rubbing alcohol and Beca bit her lip when she saw the other girl’s hands shaking. Chloe cleared her throat. "This is gonna sting a lot but… it will make sure it won't get infected."   
Beca nodded. "Just hit me."   
Chloe unscrewed the bottle and grabbed the brunette's arm. "Okay… here I go." She whispered and let a few drops from the bottle fall into the exit wound on the other girl's shoulder.   
Beca drew in a sharp breath but clenched her jaw. "Just hurry the fuck up. I'm not as fragile as you think."   
The redhead nodded and took the needle out, letting it run through the lit flame of the lighter to make sure it was sterile. She stuck out her tongue in concentration, leaning on the other girl's good shoulder as she tried to get the string through the eye of the needle. When she managed it, she tied it together and let her hands run through Beca's hair, getting it out of the way. "Okay… sit still." Chloe ordered softly.   
"And look pretty?” The brunette chuckled awkwardly, trying to lighten up the mood a little. When the other girl didn’t even smile, she huffed. “Alright. You sure you can do this? You’re shaking like a leaf.” She asked concerned.   
Chloe nodded and stabbed the needle into the sensitive skin around the wound, hearing Beca's sharp intake of breath. She skillfully stitched up the wound as soon as possible and was done before the smaller girl knew it. "It's done." She whispered. She grabbed some tissues and started cleaning off the blood that had run down the brunettes back.   
"Thanks." Beca replied. She grabbed a bandage. "When you’re done, apply this please. Hold it here and then wrap it around here." She instructed the redhead, showing her what she meant. When Chloe did as told, she nodded approvingly. "Thanks."   
The other girl shrugged. "No problem. I've done this before, you know." She patted the bandage.   
Beca nodded as she turned around, suddenly being really close to the redhead. Her breath hitched and she scooched away awkwardly. "So, what now?" She asked the inevitable question.   
Chloe's face fell. "I… I don't know…" She replied, her eyes staring right through Beca.   
"Well, we're definitely spending the rest of the night here. So. Go rest or something. I'll keep watch." The brunette suggested.

The redhead nodded. She crawled away, sitting back against the wall. She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at the wall, obviously not planning to go to sleep any time soon.   
Beca let out a sigh, remaining where she was and used the flashlight on the desk as light as she grabbed her journal. She clicked her pen and started writing.   
_ Journal entry 75. A lot has happened. I showered after probably weeks. Who knew I could smell nice again? I also look kinda hot now. Who needs a gym when the zombie apocalypse rolls around and forces you to move around a lot and starve sometimes, making you get the body you’ve always wanted? I'm missing all of my clothes however, seeing as the fucking safe house burned down. Or well, is still burning. The intruder had friends. His buddies got revenge because I murdered him. On the positive side, I had the chance to charge my phone and eat properly. That's something right? I'm also getting to know Chloe a little bit better. Like for example, she gives great hugs. I was lost in the woods and finally found her after a day, being really happy that I did. I'm pretty sure she also felt relieved seeing that she was the one who initiated the hug. Maybe she's growing on me. I doubt it. She just gives great hugs. That is all. But she is definitely still a mystery. I also feel really guilty. If I hadn't gotten lost, she wouldn't have had to leave the house and it would still be there now because we would’ve fended off the new intruders. It was too good to be true. I'm surprised she doesn't hate me yet, seeing as I only brought trouble so far. And that she stays with me. I got shot, which is still kinda surreal, and she tended to my wound. She can stitch up really well. I think. I don’t have the chance to look at my back. But I trust her enough. Weird. That I trust her a little even though we’ve just met. Whatever. _ __  
She sighed as she closed the book, stashing it back into her backpack.   
Chloe stared at the brunette, blinking slowly. She noticed that the other girl slightly stuck out her tongue as she wrote and it made her smile internally. As soon as Beca was done and eyed her, she averted her gaze.   
"Don't think I didn't see you watching." The brunette commented as she grabbed her rifle, starting to clean it.   
"I'm sorry." The redhead spoke softly. 

They were silent for a while and Beca cleared her throat. "Do you ever like… sleep? We've been together for basically 2 days now and I haven't seen you sleep once." She noted, a little worriedly. 

Chloe bit her lip. "I… don't sleep well. Haven't slept well in 2 months." She admitted.   
"Who does?" The brunette asked. "You always have to stay cautious because that's how you stay safe. Zombies could attack anytime, even if they have the IQ of a toddler. All they think about is food." She chuckled and just then, retching could be heard outside. "Ah, they still exist." She whispered. "I was getting worried that the apocalypse ended and now we’d have to build up a new society on our own."   
The redhead shuffled up and grabbed her gun cautiously, her eyes wide. She leaned her back against the door, since the shed didn't have a lock and the zombies could just walk in. Beca stared at the other girl. "If we're quiet, they'll just leave." She whispered. 

"I know that!" Chloe spat back, but she still didn't relax until the only sound they could hear was the chirping of crickets outside. She lowered her gun and slumped back against the wall, hugging her knees.   
"You're way too cautious." The brunette commented. "Loosen up a little. We're still above the zombies. You can hurt them in the most inhumane way possible and the only thing they'll do is continue to try to eat you." Beca chuckled. "They're pathetic."   
"Loosen up?" The redhead asked softly. She had been trying the hardest to calm her loudly beating heart. "How… how can I loosen up when they… they are out there? I… I feel like every second of every day is going to be my last and I have to survive… and I don't even know why." She whispered, feeling herself get upset.   
"You just need to lose that instinct. Get out of your fight or flight phase. You’re gonna give yourself a heart attack! Live like it's fucking normal for zombies to roam the earth. It's easier." The smaller girl shrugged. "Adapt, not stay in the past."   
"I… I don't know how to do that. I don't think I can." Chloe whimpered. "You know… when… when I thought you were gone, I was so scared and panicked and then… then when I found you again… I think that was the first time I've been happy since I lost Aubrey." She admitted, wiping her eyes.   
"The friend has a name. I got worried you were hanging out with nameless people." Beca replied, feeling a little uneasy at the other girl’s confession. "Also, you can do it. I'll show you how."   
"Of course she had a name." The redhead answered, smiling sadly. "How can you show me?"   
"Stop giving a fuck." The brunette shrugged. "Lost a can of food? Sucks, gotta find a new one or go empty. Out of water? Drink from a river. Not the cleanest thing to do, but better than nothing. No river around? Well, the puddle sure looks nice. No clothes? Guess you gotta wear nothing then. Fight the zombies naked. Who gives a shit. With someone? Prepare yourself that the other will die. Not necessarily, but it happens eventually. Might affect you, but in the end, you'll move on." The girl's voice quivered a little at the end as she had to think of Jesse.

Chloe looked at Beca. A frown was forming on her face. "That… just sounds stupid and reckless…" She admitted softly.

"Kind of had to learn that the hard way, kind of don't care right now." The brunette clenched her bandaged fist angrily. "I'm so fucking mad at those people. They ruined some of my favorite shirts." She huffed, clenching her jaw and staring at the small desk. "Do you think the fire will spread?" She asked after a while.

The redhead shrugged. "Probably not. But maybe… we should be cautious. Those people could also come back." She spoke softly. She thought about all the memories and supplies she lost today and she fell silent, looking at the floor.

"We're gonna come back to the safe house. Maybe not everything burned down. Maybe we can save something." Beca stated. 

“There won’t be anything left. I don’t...I don’t want to go back, okay?” The redhead replied, sniffling.

The brunette nodded. “Alright.” It hurt Beca to see Chloe clearly mourning over the lost place, supplies and memories. It made her so unbelievably angry, but she couldn't just go around and murder the other two for it. She didn't exactly have to smash a huge piano on "Bobby" either, but she acted out of pure rage. That scared her. Was she going to turn into a killer now? The human population was lessening daily already, she didn't need to contribute to that. But she also couldn't help but think about how satisfying it felt. That scared her the most. She grabbed her journal again, needing to escape the building storm of thoughts.

_ Journal entry 75.1. I just remembered that I killed Jesse yesterday, or well, the day before that. It’s in the middle of the night, so I don’t know. Let’s keep it with yesterday. I still can't believe it, although I'm kinda relieved now? I don't know. I am also starting to feel bad about killing the intruder. I'm probably more scared of the feeling I had. The satisfaction when his bones cracked, when the piano hit the ground. I definitely need to work on my anger issues, because I got mad earlier that the cell phone signal doesn’t work so I punched the shit out of a bathroom wall. If I don’t, I'm scared I'm gonna be a threat to others. To Chloe. Speaking of, she's not holding up well. I'm gonna focus on trying to make her feel better. That's the least I can do. I'm gonna convince her to head east with me, maybe we can check out that farm the other survivors talked about. For now, I'll convince her to sleep. We're not leaving this shack until she has slept for at least three hours. _

Beca closed her journal decidedly before stashing it back into her backpack. Her eyes trailed over to the redhead, who was curled up in a corner. 

 

Chloe was shivering. The shack did not offer them much shelter to the wind and she zipped open her backpack, taking a faded red hoodie from it. She pulled it over her head and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm up. Her hands were freezing. "What were you writing?" She asked the brunette softly.

"Thoughts. Lessens my inner conflicts and confusions." Beca replied shortly. "You can have my flannel too if you want."

The redhead shook her head. "You need to keep warm too." She replied softly.

"Bullshit. Take it." The smaller girl said as she tossed the flannel over, wincing a little because of her shoulder. "The wind soothes my pain a little bit, so I'll take it."

Chloe nodded and shrugged on Beca's flannel. It smelled like her and she pulled it around herself closely. "Thanks." A soft blush was tinting her cheeks.

The brunette nodded. Silence fell over them as neither of them knew what to say. They kept occasionally glancing at each other, unsure of what to think. Beca's brain was trying to figure out how she'd get the redhead to go to sleep.

Chloe sniffled. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked after a while.

"Trying to figure out if I should knock you out, force you to take a sleeping pill or kindly ask you to go to sleep." The other girl replied sarcastically. "Right now, one sounds really appealing."

The redhead's brow furrowed. "Why? I'm fine." She said softly.

"Your gaze tells me otherwise. Your eyes are giving away how tired you are." Beca spoke softly. "Lesson one of not giving a fuck: Take your sleep when you need it. You have me as protection, you're gonna be fine."

Chloe sighed. "I… I don't know… I have a lot of nightmares." She admitted. "Sometimes not sleeping is the better choice."

"Nightmares? About what?" The brunette asked curiously.

"What do you think?" The taller girl retorted sadly. "Becoming one of them…"

"Well, you won't. Not on my watch." Beca stated. When she saw that the redhead didn't look more at ease, she sighed. "Do you want me to literally protect you?" She asked. "Like, wrap an arm around you or something?"

Chloe looked at the floor and nodded, blushing. "That… would help." She admitted shyly.

"You're weird." The brunette commented as she turned off the flashlight and plopped down next to the other girl. "Making me cuddle you. I'm just a stranger, you know that right?" She kept protesting as she wrapped an arm around the redhead, careful to not squeeze too hard on the hurt shoulder. "I really can't believe you. But if that's what it takes to get you to sleep, I'll take it."

Chloe hummed and snuggled into Beca, grabbing on to her top with her hands. She felt the brunette’s arm around her warm up her body and a small smile tugged at her lips. Her head was resting on Beca's shoulder as she closed her eyes tiredly. Beca’s eyes widened a little as the taller girl literally cuddled up to her like a cat and she chuckled. “Okay. Goodnight.”

The other girl rested her head on the wall, listening to the redhead's breathing that evened out. The brunette had to smile a little. She was glad the girl was finally getting the rest she deserved. The breathing calmed her down a lot as well. She tried to ignore the weird feeling in her stomach that she got from this closure. However, it didn't take long for Beca's eyes to fall shut as well, her head dropping onto Chloe's, breaking her promise to protect them.

 

The redhead slept soundlessly for several hours, for the first time not waking up from any nightmares. When she did wake up, her eyes fluttered open because she heard a loud banging. She moved away from the brunette, slipping out of her grasp and readying her gun. Beca's head, which was still resting on the redhead's, fell against the wall with a soft thud.

The other girl woke up from that, her sleepy eyes still half closed. When she heard the banging she immediately grabbed her gun, her eyes shooting open wide. "Shit." She cursed quietly. "What is that?" She asked, whispering.

"Zombies." Chloe replied softly. She felt her breath get caught in the throat. "We have nowhere to go." She whispered. She pushed her back against the door, hoping she could keep the zombies from kicking it down on accident, discovering them in the process.

"Shit. Fucking shit." Beca cursed. "Move from the door." She instructed.

"No! They're going to come in!" The taller girl protested. Her brow furrowed angrily. "You said you'd be on watch! You said you'd protect me!" She spat, her eyes wide.

"Move from the fucking door, Chloe. There's no time for this." The brunette retorted, pushing the redhead away rather roughly. She opened the door and shot blindly, hitting the first zombie in the head. He fell back, taking some of his fellows with him. Beca stepped out further, taking the zombies out, one by one. She knew if there were this many already, she would definitely attract more. When she turned around the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes grew wide. She ran back into the shack, grabbing her backpack, swinging it onto her back, ignoring her hurting shoulder, before she forced the redhead's backpack onto Chloe's back. She took the other girl's hand and pulled a protesting redhead out of the shack with her. "Run." She instructed as she already started running, pulling Chloe with her.

"Why?!" The taller girl asked.

"Turn around." The brunette shouted.

The redhead did as told and her eyes widened. The forest was on fire and a giant mass of zombies was stumbling their way away from it, some of them even on fire. "Holy shit!" She exclaimed. She noticed the smell of the smoke and burning flesh now, making her stomach turn.

"I know, now run!" Beca panted.

 

The girls ran from the huge forest fire, their hands clasped together. They took out the zombies they saw one by one and made their way through them. After running for a while, Chloe felt her lungs hurting and she clutched her chest. "B-Beca, stop." She rasped, her heart ramming painfully in her chest.

Beca looked back, her breathing heavy. "I guess we can take a breather." She panted as she put her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. She looked at the taller girl, who leaned against a tree, her chest heaving. "Fuck… I… I don't want to think about what would have happened if I didn't wake up." The redhead spoke after a while when her breathing slowed. Her eyes were wide with panic as she looked around.

"We would've woken up in time due to the smoke." The brunette answered. "Now let's get out of these woods. Who knows how long it takes for the fire and the zombies to get to us."

"Where should we go? I've never been outside these woods! I don't know the way and who might be there, people are crazy and mean and they might hurt us and-" Chloe rambled, being interrupted by a coughing fit from the smoke.

"Shit. Stop fucking worrying and go!" Beca said as she grabbed the redhead's hand, pulling her with her. They kept running for god knows how long, eventually coming out of the woods. There was a road with an abandoned car, and the brunette, without thinking, ran toward it, opened the door and turned the keys that were still in the ignition. The car turned on with a hum, and realization dawned on the small girl as to what just happened. Chloe had entered the car by now, looking as baffled as Beca did. The brunette didn't think twice and pressed her foot down on the gas pedal, speeding off towards the unknown.

 

The redhead had her arms wrapped around her knees as she kept looking back at the road. She had removed Beca’s flannel and wordlessly dropped it into the other girl’s lap who nodded at her. It felt weird to be in a car again. Aubrey and her had found a car once, but it ran out of gas pretty quickly. The girl let her eyes roam over to the brunette, who was looking at the road with a concentrated face. "I'm… I'm sorry I freaked out." Chloe mumbled softly.

"Don't sweat it." Beca replied. She stopped the car as she marvelled over the raging fire to their side. "So this is what a forest fire looks like." She looked at it, amazed.

"I feel bad… All the animals and insects and whatnot living there… we ruined their home." The redhead whispered. The blazing light of the forest fire was reflected in her watery eyes.

"We didn't do shit. They did." The brunette spat. "Stupid Martha and friend. I don’t think there’ll be much left of the safe house now. I’m sorry." She continued driving, her eyes falling onto the fuel gauge. It was oddly full, not entirely, but it would last them at least 320 miles.

"But we didn't even try to stop it. " Chloe continued softly. "I hope… I hope no one died because of us."

"Eh. They'll manage." The smaller girl shrugged. "And there's no way we could've stopped the fire. What did you have in mind? Sacrificing your first born so God would make it rain?"

"I don't know… like… try to stop it with some water?" The redhead suggested. "I just feel bad..."

"Stop feeling bad." Beca rolled her eyes. She hoped a city would approach soon, seeing as she felt like she would need to talk about things with Chloe she didn't want to talk about if they stayed in this car for a little longer.

"Do you never feel bad? You seem pretty okay with everything..." The redhead asked, looking at the brunette. "I envy that."

"I told you. It's called not giving fucks." Beca replied. "You should really try it."

"I really don't think I can do that..." Chloe admitted softly. "I care about everything too much."

The smaller girl shrugged. "How will we get along in the long run then?" She asked, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel.

"The long run?" The redhead asked confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"Uh..." Beca stuttered. "I… I don't think we're gonna leave each other so soon. That's all." She admitted softly.

Chloe felt her heart flutter a bit. "You… you want to stay with me?" She pressed, looking at the brunette.

"Don't get all mushy now." Beca rolled her eyes, though her cheeks flushed red.

The redhead nodded. "Okay… Sorry. I just… No one has ever stuck around before. Besides Aubrey.” She admitted.

"I'm a certified loner so being alone doesn't affect me." The brunette shrugged. "If you get all mushy and affectionate I will leave. I don’t do affection much." She warned.

"Oh… okay." Chloe replied, pouting a little. "I don't care if you stay or go." She stated, wincing a little at the tone of her voice. The not-giving-a-fuck attitude didn't really work for her.

"Okay. I see now. That really doesn't work for you." Beca chuckled.

The redhead smiled shyly. "I told you. I can't act tough. But I'm pretty tough!"

"You and tough? Hah." The brunette rolled her eyes. "I've seen no such toughness."

"Well… I… I stitched up my own gun wound!" Chloe exclaimed, clenching her fists.

"When?" Beca asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Uhm… a few weeks ago." The taller girl shrugged.

"I'm impressed." The brunette nodded approvingly. "Oh. Cusseta is coming up." She squinted her eyes at the sign as the slowly rising sun made it hard to see. "Let's hope Cusseta has some food. And water. I don’t have any water bottles left. I’m so fucking thirsty."

"We’ll find something in the city, hopefully. Do you know the way around there?" The redhead asked, leaning forward so she could see around better.

"No." Beca shook her head. "That's the fun. Discovering towns, forests, caves, etc. Makes you feel like an adventurer." The brunette smiled.

Chloe bit her lip. "Okay… well… I've not been to Columbus since the apocalypse hit because I heard it was crazy. The big cities were supposed to be overrun. I just stayed in my parents' holiday home in the forest we were in…" The redhead winced at the memory of the house up in flames. 

"So that house was your parents'?" Beca cringed. "Shit man." She sighed, feeling guilt wash over her. 

"Yeah. We spent lots of time here when I was young. It was nice. Like a holiday." Chloe smiled sadly. 

"Do you think Cusseta will be safe?"

"We're about to find out." Beca replied as they drove into the city.

 

Chloe looked through the window, letting her eye roam around the town, which looked grim and deserted in the morning light. Many of the country houses were missing doors and the windows were boarded up. "Looks… great." The taller girl noted softly.

"Well. Looks like we got a day of food and water hunting ahead of us." The brunette huffed. She stopped the car in the middle of the street, getting out of it, putting her flannel back on. Then, she grabbed her backpack. She looked at Chloe, who got out of the car shakily. She put her backpack on her back and clutched her gun nervously, looking at Beca.

"What?" The brunette asked as she locked the door, making her way to the first house.

"I… I have a special way to do this. I don't think you're going to like it.." The redhead admitted.

"What is it?" Beca asked, raising her eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you have to count to 8000 again.”

"It… it involves a lot of waiting." The redhead pouted.

"Then we'll fucking split up." The smaller girl snapped. "I ain't got time to wait around."

Chloe nodded. "Okay. We'll be faster that way anyway." She looked a little hurt, but understood where Beca was coming from. “Even though my method would’ve saved us from the intruder’s attack…” She quietly mumbled.

"Alright. If in danger, shoot. Best way to hear each other." The brunette explained, pretending not to have heard the last part. "We'll never stray as far as a couple of houses from each other, okay?"

"Okay." The other girl replied and she turned around to go towards the first house. She opened the door, giving the brunette a meaningful look before slipping inside.

 

Beca kicked down the door of her first house, not caring if zombies were inside or not. A foul stench hit her nose, making her gag. On the couch were two rotting bodies, cuddled up. A small revolver was lying on the ground, and the wall behind the couch was splattered with dark blood. "How romantic." The brunette rolled her eyes. "Let's hope you got some food, water or medicine." She raided the shelves and drawers, retrieving a few food cans. She also found a stack of water bottles, taking them gratefully, opening one to drink it immediately. She headed towards the basement and let out an impressed whistle. "Suspicious that no one has found this yet." She stated as she looked around. The room was stacked with guns, rifles and ammo. "Why did you commit  a double suicide when you had this shit down here hm?" She asked the air and started putting ammo into her backpack, taking shotgun shells as well. She cursed her backpack for not being bigger as it was slowly filled to the brim. So, she headed back upstairs, searching the house for more items. She ended up finding a few more food cans and a dildo. "You had fun huh?" She cackled as she slipped it into her backpack. She had something in her mind for it. Chloe was gonna murder her for the gag, but she didn’t care. She left the house and went into the next.

 

Chloe repeated her pattern with waiting and throwing the brick, letting out a grateful breath when the house stayed silent. She looked through the cabinets, finding some cans and a pot of instant coffee. She took the lid off of it and smelled it, her mouth watering already. "God, I miss coffee." She whispered softly. She put the coffee and the cans of peaches in the bag and continued to search the house, finding a few bandages in the bathroom closet. When she came into the next room, she frowned as she realised it was a kids room. She sat on the bed, feeling the soft duvet that had rocket ships on them. Seeing rooms like this always made her sad. She wondered if the kid was okay. She saw a few pictures and smiled at the little boy displayed in them. Then her eye fell on a large pile of comic books, a grin forming on her face. She took a few, stashing them into her bag, and left the house. She saw Beca was done as well and waved at her, motioning towards the second house to show the other girl she was going in there. She repeated her pattern, not hearing anything and looting the house quickly. She climbed the stairs a little sadly, having found nothing useful so far. Upstairs she had no luck either and she went downstairs again to wait for Beca to show up for their third house.

 

The brunette searched the house rather quickly, barely finding anything. She let out a frustrated sigh and left, spotting Chloe on the other side of the road. She nodded at her before disappearing into the next one. But as soon as she opened the door, a few zombies were in there, doing weird humping motions on each other. The girl stared at them perplexed, too shocked to react. She slowly retreated, closing the door quietly.

 

The redhead had entered the next house. After dropping her brick and hearing nothing, she looked around the kitchen, finding a ton of cans. She found a small handgun in one of the drawers and tested it out, feeling the weight of it in her hand. It had a box of ammo too, which she took gingerly after putting the gun in the back of her jeans. She climbed the stairs and wanted to turn towards the bathroom when she heard a soft gurgling sound. She froze and readied her gun as she propped herself up against the wall, ready to take the zombie out. When nothing appeared, Chloe pushed herself away from the wall and slowly walked into the room where the sound was coming from. To her shock, it was a baby room. And the growling was coming from the small crib. A sinking feeling crept over the redhead as she approached the crib and her eyes widened as she saw a small baby lying in there, its eyes white and its small fists groping the air. 

"Oh… no…" The girl whispered softly as she looked at the zombified child. She felt her heart break and didn't know what to do as she stepped closer towards the crib. The baby noticed her and tried to grab her, but wasn't able to get up from it's laid down position. "I'm… I'm so sorry." Chloe choked out, feeling tears sting in her eyes. She couldn't just leave the kid… it was suffering. Her heart felt heavy as she thought about what could have happened, letting the horror scenarios fill her mind. She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks as she raised the small handgun she had found and aimed it at the small head. Her hands shook and she closed her eyes as she pulled the trigger, effectively killing the small baby. Lowering the gun, she held her hand in front of her mouth, stifling a sob.

 

Beca's ear perked up as she heard a gunshot. She had waited in front of the house where the zombies had their gangbang going on, not wanting to go in there. She immediately sprinted forward and kicked down the door to the house the redhead was in. "Chloe?! Where are you?" She shouted as she threw caution into the wind like always.

Chloe had slid down the wall, her gun dropped to the side. Tears were leaking from her eyes as she cried silently. When she heard the brunette call out, she let out a sob. "I'm here." She yelled, her voice cracking.

The smaller girl skipped up the stairs, immediately running into the baby room. She saw the taller girl curled up and dropped to her knees, grabbing her hands. "What happened?!" The brunette asked worriedly. “Did you get bit?”

The other girl shook her head and pointed a shaky finger over to the crib, hiding her face.

“Oh.” The brunette got up and looked into the crib, her heart breaking as she saw the dead baby. She went back to the other girl and wordlessly wrapped her arms around her, closing her eyes.

The redhead buried her face into the brunette’s shoulder, crying into it heartbreakingly. "I'm… I'm so sorry. I couldn't just… leave it." She sniffled.

"It's okay." Beca whispered. "It was gone anyways." She soothingly rubbed the other girl's back, holding her.

 

Chloe calmed down after a while, sniffling softly. "It's so unfair. That child could have lived such a great life." She muttered, wiping her red eyes and nose.

"You can't save everybody." The smaller girl sighed. "You good now?"

"I… I don't know." The redhead sniffled. "I'm sorry for staining your flannel."

"Don't worry about it. It’ll dry." Beca shrugged it off. "Come on, we got more houses to raid."

Chloe nodded. "Can… can you please… come with me?" She asked, looking at the girl in front of her with wet eyes.

The brunette sighed. "Alright. Get up." She got up herself, dusting off her jeans. "But if you're making me wait too long I’m leaving you.” She added with a grin, showing that she wasn’t serious. The redhead smiled softly and nodded. She scrambled up, taking the small handgun in her hands. It made her feel disgusted, thinking about the bullet in the little child's head. She handed it to the other girl.

Beca grabbed it, immediately understanding as she put it in her belt. She walked outside with Chloe right behind her and they went to the next house, where the brunette turned to face the other girl. "Do your thing."

The other girl listened intently before dropping the brick. Beca watched her, slightly annoyed. They heard shuffling upstairs and the redhead's eyes widened as she looked up. "S-Someone's there." She whispered to the brunette.

"Yeah, a zombie." Beca rolled her eyes. "Are you that surprised?" She asked.

Chloe shook her head. "What… what if it's another kid?" She whispered.

"You're being paranoid. Come on, let's go." The other girl said as she made her way in.

The redhead followed the brunette, her heart beating in her throat. She really couldn't deal with shooting another kid today.

Beca made her way upstairs, her rifle ready. They heard a soft thud in one of the rooms. The brunette immediately made her way over, kicking the door in. 

"Don't shoot, don't shoot!" A male voice begged. 

The brunette lowered her gun slowly. "Benji?!" She asked in disbelief. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER bc I like them. Benji is gonna be added into the mix, how will that work out? Stay tuned~


	4. True colors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the absence! The past few days have been... Dunno, we were both busy or lazy. Anyways, I hope you will not kill me nor Britt at the end of this chap... Enjoy!

"Beca!?" Benji replied. 

"Shit, what are you doing here?!" Beca asked as she wrapped the boy in a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so scared for you when the crowd almost stomped you." She smiled widely.

"So am I!" The boy replied as he hugged the brunette tightly. “And I’m really glad I made it out alive there. I had a couple of bruises but otherwise I was fine.”

Chloe appeared in the doorway behind them, staring at the boy embracing the brunette. For some reason, she felt a stab of jealousy. She leaned against the doorframe, too shy to say anything.

"So, how have you been? Where's Jesse?" The boy asked, not noticing the redhead yet. 

"Uhm, I've been getting around you know. Uh. Oh, this is Chloe. Chloe, come say hi." The girl dodged the subject, grabbing the other girl by the arm and pushing her forward instead. 

"Hi Chloe. I'm Benji." The brunette boy smiled and held out his hand.

Chloe stared at the hand, her lips forming a thin line. "Chloe." She replied without shaking his hand.

Benji retreated his hand awkwardly. "So how did you meet?" He asked. 

"I saved her." Beca shrugged nonchalantly. "Since then she kinda stuck around."

The redhead nodded, moving to stand behind the brunette. She didn't know who this guy was, but it seemed like Beca knew him from before the apocalypse. Chloe wondered what Beca had been like, before it all went to shit.

"So I guess she joined your gang?" The boy smiled. "I'm so sorry I lost you guys at the gate when shit hit the fan." He looked onto the ground. 

"It's fine. It was a miracle Jesse and I managed to stay together. Everyone was running, pushing, tripping... I’m still so glad you didn’t die back there." Beca smiled softly, leaning against the dresser. "Have you been alone?" She asked curiously. 

"Not all the time. I was part of a group but one day, they just left me. I don't know where they disappeared to. Since then, I've been on my own." Benji frowned.

The redhead’s ears perked up when she heard the brunette mention someone called Jesse. "Who… Who's Jesse?" She asked softly.

"Uh… he's..." Beca stuttered. 

"He's her boyfriend. Haven't you met him?" The boy asked confusedly.

Chloe froze at the word boyfriend. "Uhm… no...?" She said, looking at the other girl as confused.

Beca's breath hitched as she felt two sets of eyes looking at her. "I... He... I'm sorry." The brunette pushed past the redhead as she made her way out, leaving the pair behind in confusion. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying as she locked herself into the bathroom.

Chloe looked after Beca, her brows furrowing. "I… I'm sorry I asked." She said awkwardly to Benji.

He shrugged. "I have no idea what her problem is… but I think… I think Jesse's not okay." He replied sadly. "Are you sure you haven't seen him since you met Beca?" 

The other girl shook her head. "She was alone when she found me."

"Hm." The brunette boy stepped out of the room and knocked on the bathroom door. "Becs..?" He asked softly. 

The brunette sniffled before answering. "Go away." She hated it now that she had run into Benji. It made her deal with feelings she had pushed away a long time ago. 

"Beca, come on, open up." The boy tried again. "I think I get what happened." He spoke softly. "He's not with us anymore, is he?" Beca replied with heart wrenching sobs and Benji stared at the door. "I see." He said calmly before his legs gave out and he sunk onto the floor.

Chloe heard the conversation and it pained her to hear the brunette’s soft sobs. She looked around the corner, looking at the boy who was crying as well. "Oh..." She whispered softly. Her anger and jealousy faded away and she sat down next to him. "You want a hug?" She offered softly.

Benji nodded as he wrapped his arms around the redhead. He sobbed against her shoulder. "Always the good ones. It's always the good ones."

Chloe tightened her arms around the boy, softly rubbing his back. "I'm sorry about your friend." She whispered softly.

 

Benji cried into the redhead’s arms for quite some time before he calmed down. He let go of the girl, wiping his tear stained face. "I'm sorry." He apologized softly. Just when Chloe was about to answer, they could hear the sound of a door being opened downstairs. They looked at each other with shocked eyes.

"Are… are you sure you’re not here with anyone else?" The girl whispered and the brunette boy nodded. The redhead scrambled up, grabbing her shotgun. She stealthily walked towards the stairs, making nearly no noise.

A person started to make their way up, freezing when they looked at Chloe. They immediately pulled their gun. "Yo. You can't be here." The man glared at her.

The girl furrowed her brow. "You're walking in to the place I'm looting, telling me that I can't be here?" She asked, confused. "Something's off there." She aimed her gun at him. "Just turn around and walk away!"

"Out of my own fucking house?!" The guy exclaimed. "I live here." He pointed at a picture on the wall. "See? So stop looting my house and get out!" He had also aimed his gun, glaring angrily.

Chloe felt her breath get caught in her throat. "Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't… I didn't know." She apologized, raising her hands defensively.

"Yeah so you better get out before I shoot you." The guy glared. Just then, Benji appeared behind the redhead. 

"Hey is..." A gunshot. The brunette boy had scared the guy who was still aiming at Chloe, making him pull the trigger. The redhead had squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't feel any pain. However, she heard a gurgling noise behind her before a body hit the floor. She turned around to stare into Benji's wide eyes, blood spilling out of his mouth, his hands on his neck, trying to stop the bleeding where the bullet had entered.

Beca had heard the gunshot and ran out of the bathroom, just in time to see the brunette boy pass away. "No." She breathed out. Her eyes fixated on the man who was standing on the stairs, clearly shocked by his action. She lunged at him, sending them flying down the stairs. "You fucking murdered my best friend you asshole!" She screamed as she started punching the man's face relentlessly.

Chloe stood there, frozen on the stairs. Benji twitched a little bit before lying completely still. The redhead turned her head to look at the brunette girl. She sank down on the stairs as her legs gave out, staring at her in disbelief. "B-Beca, please… S-Stop..." She stuttered, crawling down the stairs and trying to pull the girl away.

Beca simply pushed Chloe away with such force that it sent the redhead flying back against the wall. The guy had stopped defending himself long ago. The brunette kept punching mercilessly until her anger faded and her punches became softer. She put her hands on the guy's chest, balling up his fabric in her fists as she started sobbing again, her tears dropping onto the man's body.

When the redhead’s back hit the wall, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and a soft crack was heard. She slid to the floor, clutching her dislocated shoulder. Her eyes looked at the girl in front of her scaredly, expecting her to turn on her any moment. Tears were falling from eyes as well, she was terrified of Beca. When the brunette eventually stopped punching and just cried, Chloe winced in pain as she tried to get up. She slumped back against the wall but her eyes shot up as heard something stumbling down the stairs. Benji was flopping down, landing face down before getting up again, growling. The redhead’s eyes widened and she grabbed her gun, aiming as best as she could with her painful shoulder. Her hands shook and she swore. The zombie was making his way over to Beca, who didn't respond to Chloe's calls. Clenching her jaw, the redhead pulled the trigger, successfully shooting Benji in the head as he dropped to the floor, just as he was about to reach a sobbing brunette.

Beca heard the gunshot and a body hit the floor. "No Chloe, you can't leave me too..." She sobbed out as she turned around. When she saw the redhead slumped against the wall, living, breathing, staring back at her with fear, the brunette let out another sob. "I'm so fucking sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm such a bad person." She rolled off the body as she scrambled towards Chloe who backed up more against the wall, clearly terrified of her. The girl dropped on her knees and wrapped her arms around the other girl. "I'm so scared. I'm so scared of myself. What is happening to me?!" She cried out as she clutched onto Chloe like she was her lifeline. "Am I going crazy? Am I turning into a monster?!"

The redhead froze as the brunette hugged her. She didn't know what to do, so she just sat there, unmoving. "I... I don't know" She whispered softly. She winced as another wave of pain hit her.

Beca took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She sat back, wiping her face furiously. Once her vision cleared, she took in Chloe's sight. The redhead was clutching her shoulder, looking at her with such fear that it made the brunette's heart break. Beca let out a long sigh. "Why are you clutching your shoulder?" She asked softly, her voice strained.

"I… I think it's dislocated." Chloe replied through gritted teeth. She didn't want to look at the girl in front of her anymore so she averted her gaze. "Just go away please… I'll be fine."

Hurt flashed over Beca's face. She had successfully driven the one person she could somehow trust away. "Of course." She nodded, biting back tears. She went upstairs to get her stuff before coming back down. She stood in the doorway, not knowing if she should turn around. "I... I'm sorry." The brunette squeaked out before she left, leaving the redhead behind.

Chloe sat there, still clutching her painfully throbbing shoulder. She couldn't believe Beca had just left. Even though it was probably for the better, she still didn’t expect the brunette to actually leave her behind. The redhead bit her lip, trying her best not to cry. Her head whipped up when she heard a soft growling coming from the man the brunette had thrown down the stairs. Apparently, she punched him so hard that he died. He twitched and rose up, towering above her. Chloe scrambled for her gun but it was too far to reach, her arm lying limply in her lap. "Fuck. Fuck!" The girl panicked, leaning forward to grab it but it was to no avail. The zombified man was upon her and she tried to push him away with her legs, whimpering. "Beca!" She yelled, hoping that the brunette could hear her. "Beca!!!!"

The brunette hadn't gotten far. Her legs collapsed as soon as she made her way down the front steps, sniffling. When she heard Chloe call out her name, panic evident in her voice, her head snapped up and she scrambled to her feet. She bursted back in, just in time for her to witness as the man she had apparently beaten to death tried to bite down on the redhead. She quickly grabbed her handgun, sending three bullets into the man's head who dropped to the ground. She stared at him as she slowly lowered the gun, dropping it. "Another one dead." She whispered. "Because of me…"

Chloe pushed the zombie away with her legs, relief flooding over her. "Please… come here." She demanded softly. 

Beca carefully stepped closer, slowly sinking to her knees. She looked at the redhead like a scared kitten, broken and afraid. The other girl looked just a scared as she was, her eyes roaming over the brunette’s face. "I'm… I'm sorry you lost your friend." The redhead whispered softly.

"I scared the living shit out of you and you're going on to tell me your condolences?" The brunette asked, confused. A tear escaped her eye and she wiped it away quickly.

"I… I don't know what else to say. I can't… I can't really concentrate." Chloe whispered painfully. "But I didn't mean it when I said I wanted you to leave. Please don't leave."

Beca nodded. After a while, she spoke up, her voice unsteady. "You want me to... help you with your shoulder?"

"How?" The redhead squeaked.

"I... I know how to do it okay?" The brunette defended herself. "It'll hurt like a bitch though. But only for a split second."

"Oh… Okay." Chloe replied. When Beca moved towards her, she winced, looking at her fearfully.

"I'm... I'm not gonna hurt you." The other girl whispered. "Could you take off your shirt?"

The redhead nodded. "Okay. But… please be gentle." She inquired softly. She tried to took off her shirt, but it was kind of difficult with one hand.

"Shall I help?" The brunette asked carefully.

"Uhm… yes." Chloe replied, the shirt pulled halfway over her head.

Beca slowly moved her hands to the shirt, trying not to scare the redhead. She tugged and pulled on it softly and carefully until it came off. "I need you to lie down. Can you do that?" She asked, her eyes not leaving the dislocated shoulder. She cringed a little at the current shape of the other girl’s bones. 

Chloe nodded and carefully leaned on her good arm as she laid down, her skin touching the cold wooden floor. She shivered a little bit.

"Alright, it's a lot to ask right now but please trust me. It'll be quick, and it's over before you know it, alright?" The brunette spoke softly.

"Okay." The redead replied, barely above a whisper. "Just tell me what you're going to do."

"I'll place my foot in your armpit and pull on your arm. It should snap the shoulder back in place." Beca explained. "It's really the only way to do it."

"Oh..." Chloe said, being rather intimidated by the thought. "Okay." She closed her eyes. "Just… do it."

"Alright." The smaller girl placed her foot in the redhead's armpit, grabbing her arm and lifting it carefully. The redhead winced and groaned audibly. "Sorry. It'll be over soon. I'll count to three alright?" The other girl nodded. "Okay. 1..." Beca didn't even count any further as she tugged on the arm, successfully snapping it back into place. "There we go."

Chloe felt an excruciating pain in her shoulder as the other girl pulled on it, letting out a pained scream. But as it snapped back in place, the soaring pain faded until it just stung dully. "Ow..." The redhead whined softly.

"Feels better huh?" Beca asked as she sat back down. "Can you move it properly?"

Chloe tried to move it a little, feeling the muscles protest. "I guess so… it hurts though." She whispered.

"An Advil a day keeps the pain away." The brunette mused as she grabbed into her backpack, pulling out the painkillers. "Here you go." She also pulled out a fresh water bottle, handing it to the other girl.

"Do you not have anything stronger?" The redhead asked softly. "It hurts like a bitch."

"Then take two." Beca shrugged, handing her another pill.

Chloe nodded and she took the two pills, swallowing them with the water. She realised she was still laying on the floor in just her bra and felt a little awkward about it. "Could you hand me my shirt?" She asked softly.

The smaller girl nodded and handed her the shirt which the redhead thankfully took and put it over her head. The brunette had averted her eyes to stare at the dead bodies lying in front of them.

Chloe scrambled up with a lot of effort until eventually, she sat, her back leaning back against the wall. She saw Beca's gaze and bit her lip. "I'm sorry I shot your friend. He was going to attack you."

"It's okay." The brunette replied. She felt empty and numb. And so goddamn tired. "Can you drive?" She asked.

"I mean… no.... I don't have my driver's license." The redhead replied softly. "But I know how a car works."

"So you can drive?" Beca asked again. Upon Chloe's nod, she stood up. "You're driving then. I want to get out of this goddamn town. And maybe some rest..." She said tiredly.

The redhead nodded. "Could you… help me up?" She asked awkwardly.

The brunette extended her hand and pulled the other girl to her feet, supporting her as she stumbled a little. They made their way out of the house and back to the car. "Keep your head low, I'm getting your backpack." Beca said as Chloe entered the vehicle. She sprinted back, quickly retrieving the item and ran back, hopping into the car. "Drive." She instructed.

The redhead nodded and pressed down, putting the car into first gear and speeding off. As soon as she realised the had use her bad arm to change gears, she slowed down. "I can drive… but my right arm is useless." She noted sadly. 

The brunette huffed and grabbed the gearshift. "Just tell me when you press the clutch." She replied.

Chloe nodded. She started driving and soon had to switch gears. "Now." Beca switched the car over to second gear and later into third. They quickly left the outskirts of the small town and the redhead looked at the brunette. "Where to?" She asked softly.

"Anywhere but here." The smaller girl simply replied. She stared at the road in front of them, letting the surroundings pass by without paying much attention to it.

The taller girl took a turn towards Tallahassee. She drove quickly, not that speed limits mattered anymore. "Do you… wanna talk about it?" She asked after a while.

"About what precisely?" Beca retorted, not looking at Chloe.

"What… what happened to your friend. Jesse?" The redhead said, concentrating on the road.

The brunette sighed. "It's... Ugh." She collected her thoughts. "We were being ambushed by zombies. He played the hero and sacrificed himself so I could run. Lived up to his movie expectation of wanting to become a hero one day." The girl looked out of the window. "I fled. I wept and fled. I don't know why, but his corpse kept following me. I couldn't shoot him however. I kind of assumed something in him was alive, that there was a reason he followed me. But..." Beca let out a breath. "When I went to get your backpack from the apothecary, his body fell on me. I shot him out of reflex before I realized who I shot. So that kinda sucked." She cleared her throat, trying not to cry. "I've been bottling this up for a while now. Today it just... Came crashing down on me. Had to happen sooner or later, right?"

Chloe nodded. "I think it's a good thing. He's at rest now." She offered, trying to smile. "I'm sure there's nothing left of the original person in there." She added, but didn't sound very convincing.

"Then why did he follow me?" Beca asked as if the redhead had an answer. "No matter where I was, he would always appear. Maybe days later, but he was there."

"I don't know..." Chloe replied, biting her lip. "Maybe you… I don't know… Maybe he did recognise you, somewhere."

"Maybe. God, zombies could be good for research. But find a lab and scientists who know what they do." The brunette chuckled sadly. They fell silent, concentrating on the road. "I want something in return." She said after a while.

"Huh? For what?" The redhead asked, not taking her eyes off the road. “You want a kiss or something?” She joked. 

Beca scoffed. "You wish." She shook her head. "No, I want to know who Aubrey is." She stated.

Chloe visibly tensed. "Oh." She cleared her throat. "Aubrey is… was my best friend." She replied, hoping that was enough for the other girl.

"And...?" The brunette continued, staring intently at the redhead. "Come on, it's only fair. You heard my backstory, now I want yours."

"Well… when it all happened, I was with her in.... in Columbus. She was actually sleeping over at my house, like we used to do a lot." Chloe smiled sadly at the memory. "My dad woke me up, saying that something had happened and we needed to leave. So we packed our things, thinking we were going on an exciting adventure. God… we were so stupid." She continued, shaking her head. "My dad told me and Aubrey to go ahead and find the holiday home to find shelter. My dad was kind of… crazy about this whole apocalypse thing. He stocked up on supplies and always made sure we had a plan in case an apocalypse hit. I thought it was annoying, but… I'm glad now. Anyway, after we packed our things we got on our way. That was the last time I saw my family. They were supposed to join us later… but… they never did." The redhead sniffled.

"Oh." Beca nodded. "I also never saw my dad again. Don't know where he's at." She paused. "What happened after that?"

"Well… we miraculously arrived at the house without seeing any zombies. We parked the car and got into the house, buzzing with excitement. My dad had told me there were guns in the attic, so we went to get them. I didn't think we'd actually need them… until someone knocked on our door. It was a young boy… and he lost his family. We let him in, without realizing he was bitten. That's when we had to shoot the first zombie." Chloe continued, not wanting to go into details about the young boy turning. "We stayed in the house, sometimes exploring outside. We learned to survive. It was scary… but with Aubrey there… I felt like I could manage." The girl smiled sadly. "But she's gone now."

"Why?" The brunette asked.

"Doesn't matter. She's gone." Chloe choked out, her vision blurring with tears.

"Stop the car." Beca ordered.

The redhead obeyed by braking and pulling over. She wiped her eyes frustratedly. "I'm fine. We can keep going."

"No. I want us to stay safe and for that you have to calm down." The brunette protested. "I'm sorry for asking so much."

"That's okay." The taller girl sniffled. "I started it."

Beca eyed Chloe worriedly. "I'm sorry for today." She started again. "For making you be scared of me. I'm scared of myself as well. I'm suspecting I have some kind of anger management issues." She confessed.

"Well… you did dislocate my shoulder just by shoving me into a wall. That's some strength." The redhead said, trying to make a joke of it.

The brunette chuckled weakly. "I'm sorry about that. I have my ways to keep calm but today was really overwhelming. I will try my best though."

"I would hope so. You scared me. Like… terrified me." The other girl admitted. "But… what was even scarier was being alone after you left."

"Guess I'm not doing that again huh?" Beca chuckled softly. "It hurt when you kicked me out. I don't know what it is about you."

"What it is about me?" Chloe said, looking up at the brunette with teary eyes.

"I've been alone for these past 59 days. And you just... came into my life and I accepted that." The smaller girl admitted. "It was like you decided that I won't be alone anymore from now on."

The redhead smiled softly. "I used to cuddle with Aubrey every night. I guess I haven't slept properly since. Until you cuddled up to me in the shack." She admitted.

"I'm really glad you slept last night though. Even if it was cut short." Beca smiled softly.

"Yeah. Me too. I think I slept so little I started seeing things." Chloe replied, chuckling.

"Been there. Not that funny." The brunette giggled. "You good to drive?" She asked.

"I think so." The taller girl answered, wiping her eyes. "If you do the gear shift again."

"Yup." Beca saluted as she put her hand on it. "Ready when you are."

Chloe started the car again and pressed down the gas, driving off. "Now." She spoke up, and soon they were back in fifth gear, speeding over the highway. "Do you have… any plan, at all?" The girl asked after a while.

"Isn't it always the same? Raid a city, live off the supplies for a while and then raid the next one. You might go out empty, might not, everything's so unsure." The brunette shrugged. "We have some food and water for now, but we'll run out."

The redhead nodded. "I just… I wish we could settle down somewhere. Make a home." She said softly.

"We could. But the food's just a problem. We can't just... Stop eating and miraculously live on." Beca shrugged as she put one of her feet up the dashboard. "Can we stop by the beach? When we're around Tallahassee, I mean."

"Yeah. Do you think we'll make it there with this tank?" Chloe asked softly. "I've never been there."

"Maybe we'll find a gas station on the way. That still works of course." The brunette shrugged. "It just.. I want to forget about the apocalypse for a few hours."

"That would be nice." The redhead agreed, staring at the road. "You know… I miss... I miss cartoons." She said suddenly.

"I miss watching TV. Netflix especially." The smaller girl chuckled. "I think I got a season of Looney Toons on my phone. Had to download it for my cousin."

The other girl let out a sigh. "I miss sex." She mumbled.

Beca choked on her spit as she stared at the girl next to her. "You... what?" She blinked. "Why?"

"I don't know… I… I guess I just miss being that close with someone." Chloe admitted, blushing a little.

"Don't tell me you and Aubrey..." The brunette trailed off, her point got across anyways.

"Oh, god no!" The redhead quickly replied, blushing furiously. "Well… there was this one time...." She added, furrowing her brow.

"I don't need details." Beca quickly said, shuddering. Awkward silence engulfed the car, so the smaller girl turned on the radio, looking for any kind of signal out there.

 

After a long time of static silence, Chloe cleared her throat. "I'm sorry I said anything… I shouldn't have."

"No it's okay." The brunette replied. She turned off the radio again. "Guess everything's truly dead huh?" She chuckled. "Pathetic."

The redhead smiled. "Yeah. Your period stopped too?" She asked, grinning.

"Too? What, haven't you been getting it?" Beca asked, raising her eyebrow in shock.

"Nope… Aubrey told me it's normal." Chloe said softly.

"Dude are you sure you're not like... Pregnant or something?" The smaller girl asked. "How long has this been going on for?"

"Since it's started. Aubrey told me it can happen because of stress and weight loss." The redhead shrugged. "And I'm not pregnant. I'm 100% sure about that."

"Hm... okay." Beca nodded. "Do you think female zombies get their periods?"

"Probably not. They don't pee either. The only thing they do is eat and growl." Chloe said with a grossed out face.

"True." The brunette hummed. They fell silent again, this time comfortable with not talking. Beca grabbed her journal and jotted down what had happened. 

_ Journal entry 76. The forest fire got to us. We found a car and sped off. I missed being able to travel without moving. I also killed another man today... I made Chloe really afraid of me because I PUNCHED him to death. I also pushed her so hard her shoulder dislocated. But… I think we're okay for now. We are currently speeding through Georgia, never stopping. I also met Benji again, which made me really happy, but of course he died, which contributed to me killing the poor man cause he killed him. I still hate myself for taking another life… Chloe and I had a heart to heart and she knows about Jesse now. I know a little bit more about her best friend Aubrey as well, but not how she died. I'm working on that. Car rides with Chloe are definitely interesting though. When I asked her for something in return for me telling her about Jesse, she wanted to know if I wanted a kiss. That was really weird and awkward. And, just now, she randomly told me she missed having sex. Why would you tell a stranger that? Maybe she wants to hook up with me. Maybe that's her plan in the long run. But seeing how sincere she was about me never leaving her I doubt it. She also told me that she didn't have her period. Sounds like she is pregnant, but she said there was a 100% chance that she wasn't. Looking at with what she said before, I think she's gay, because that’s a reply only gay people say… Right? It's making me really confused and nervous, because that's stirring up feelings in me I kind of suppressed for the last couple of years. Feelings I don't understand, that scare me. Maybe I'll let Chloe in on them... Eventually. _

Chloe stole glances at the other girl, who was writing concentratedly. "What are you writing about?" The redhead asked innocently.

"I told you, it's my thoughts." Beca replied as she closed the journal before sliding it back into her backpack. "And I'm documenting what's happening. In case I forget."

"Do you write about me?" The taller girl asked, her eyes never leaving the road.

"That's none of your business." The brunette retorted, her voice a little higher than usual.

Chloe raised her eyebrows. "Oh, okay."

 

Beca crossed her arms with a huff. "Can we stop somewhere? I want to walk around. And pee."

"Alright. I'll take the next exit." The redhead said with a soft smile. When they neared an exit, she took it and they drove into Attapulgus. "Hmmm… want to loot these houses?" Chloe asked after she had turned off the car.

"After I peed okay?" Beca spoke softly as she left the car. She looked around, wondering if she should go for a toilet or a bush. She picked the first one, seeing as she won't be coming back to that house anyways. She turned around to wait for the other girl, kicking a stone away absentmindedly.

"You… want me to come?" The redhead asked as she got out of the car as well. She massaged her shoulder, which stung painfully after the hours of driving.

"Not on the toilet you weirdo." The smaller girl blushed. "You can loot the house while I am in the bathroom." She explained, rubbing her neck awkwardly.

"Okay." Chloe pushed herself off from the car and followed Beca into the house. "I'll… check out the downstairs area." She nodded as the other girl started walking upstairs to find a bathroom. She looked through the kitchen, finding some packets of rice. She clutched them to her chest and thought about how nice it would be to eat some rice again after so long, already savoring the taste. She also found some canned fruits but they had gone off and the girl really didn't want to risk giving herself or Beca food poisoning, so she threw them into a corner of the living room. After she was done, she shuffled upstairs to check out the rooms there.

The brunette peed in silence. It felt nice to sit on an actual toilet again. When she was done, she stood up, her hand automatically going to flush the toilet, but she stopped herself. "The flush doesn't work dumbass." She closed the lid and left the bathroom, bumping into Chloe who had just returned from her search. "Woah." Beca breathed out.

"Whoops. Sorry." The redhead apologized softly. She was carrying a big fluffy blanket in her arms, which she dropped when she walked into the other girl.

"Why the blanket?" The brunette asked as she picked it up.

"It… it just felt so soft. " Chloe shyly admitted. She took the blanket from Beca, which had rainbows and suns on them.

"Nerd." The smaller girl commented. They made their way down, throwing the blanket into the car. "So, do we split up again or...?" The brunette asked shyly.

"No." The redhead immediately replied, standing closer to Beca than she would have a few days ago.

"Okay." The latter said barely above a whisper. They started raiding houses together, sharing what they found. The brunette tried her best to stop herself from making comments about Chloe’s techniques, seeing as it saved their asses a couple of times already. Not that Beca would ever admit that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't kill me. PLEASE. The next chap will make up for everything. Maybe. (;


	5. Heart to heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooo, we're back at it again. Hope you like the update! :D

After some time, they decided to start a fire and cook themselves a meal, emptying a few cans and the rice Chloe had found into a camping pot they found in one of the houses. As the food started cooking, Beca had gotten herself a stick which she broke into little pieces before feeding the parts to the fire.

The taller girl was sitting on the sandy grass in the garden of one of the houses. Crickets were chirping around her and she wrapped her arms around her knees, staring into the fire. "This is kind of fun." She spoke softly.

"Do you think we would've been friends if we met before the apocalypse?" The brunette asked out of the blue as she kept throwing pieces into the fire.

Chloe looked up. She thought about what it was like before survival was the most important thing to do during the day and if Beca and her could get along. "Maybe." She answered softly.

"Neat." Beca replied. "I think the food's ready." She then added. She grabbed two bowls, handing one to the other girl. She put some tomato soup with rice into the redhead's bowl before she helped herself to a serving.

Chloe smelled the soup, her mouth watering. "Hmm… It's kind of nice to eat warm food. When we ate the noodles, it was the first time I ate a hot meal in a while." She admitted, grabbing her spoon.

"Was it? Why? You had everything you needed." The brunette asked as she blew her soup.

"Just didn't feel like cooking, I guess." Chloe shrugged, warming her hands on the bowl of soup.

"Hmm." Beca nodded. They ate in silence, helping themselves to another serving occasionally. The brunette remembered an item in her backpack and had to smirk as she remembered what she wanted to do with it. "Hey Chloe?" She asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"Hm?" The girl in question hummed, looking up from her steaming bowl of soup.

"Close your eyes for me?" The smaller girl asked sweetly.

The redhead raised her eyebrows. "Okay..." She replied and she did as she was told.

Beca looked through her backpack until she found what she had been looking for. "Extend one of your hands please." She instructed as she grabbed the item.

Chloe extended a shaky hand. She wanted to trust the other girl, but with her eyes closed like this, the brunette could be up to anything and she wouldn't even see it coming. The soft crackling of the fire soothed her however, and she tried to calm her beating heart.

Beca placed the dildo in the redhead’s hand. "Open your eyes." She giggled. The taller girl opened her eyes and stared at the dildo in her hand. "There's a joke behind this. It's "Go fuck yourself." Get it?" The brunette snorted as she rolled over laughing.

Chloe dropped the dildo on the grass, wiping her hand on her jeans. "Ew." She eyed Beca angrily, who was roaring with laughter. A smile tugged at her lips however and soon enough she started laughing too.

The smaller girl held her stomach as she tried to catch her breath. "The reactions are always hilarious." She giggled.

"You're disgusting." The redhead chuckled. She eyed the dildo shyly. "You actually wanted me to use it? Because that's some weird ass fantasy right there."

"No. God no." Beca wiped away a tear that had fallen from laughing. "It was just for the joke. I swear."

"Alright." Chloe said with a grin. "Well, thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

The brunette grinned up at the other girl as she still remained on the floor. "Thank you for not turning your back on me even though that should've been a wise decision." She admitted.

"You know, ever since the apocalypse started, I've made every decision with my head. Calculating the risks and taking the less riskiest of options. I've done that with every single one. Except for you." Chloe admitted, laying down on the grass as well. She looked up at the stars, which were blinking brilliantly in the night sky.

"That's risky." Beca said as she looked at the stars as well. "I'm probably trusting you too much already." She confessed. "So much to "I'll fend for myself"." She chuckled.

"I never wanted to care about anyone ever again like I did for Aubrey." The taller girl admitted. "It just hurts too much."

"I get what you mean." The brunette whispered as she thought of Benji and Jesse.

"But I guess… it's no use now." The redhead whispered.

Beca turned her head to look at Chloe. "Yeah, I guess." She nodded softly.

"Do you want to go swimming once we get to beach?" The redhead asked softly, her eyes roaming over the other girl's face.

"Why not? We don't know how long we'll live. So we should do what we want before we die and not regret that we didn’t do it." Beca smiled softly.

"Yeah. I miss just being reckless. I miss drinking." Chloe admitted with a blush.

"What else do you miss?" The brunette rolled her eyes. "Regular showers? No constant fear? Kissing?" She listed, giggling softly.

"Yes." The redhead said, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"Yes to what?" The smaller girl asked, raising her eyebrow.

"All… all of those." Chloe cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Should've guessed." Beca chuckled. "But. I feel the same. Deep down, suppressed somewhere." She admitted.

"I guess the apocalypse is just no place for love." The taller girl sighed sadly.

"Hm..." The other girl hummed. "Not necessarily. But... Sometimes it just happens ya know? Or you start it with a partner already. Though Jesse and I stopped with the affection shit more and more as soon as the apocalypse started. Although... That's a bad example. That kinda started stopping way longer before that." The brunette looked back at the sky.

"I'm sorry." Chloe apologized, biting her lip. "I wish I had met him. He sounds nice."

"He was. He was truly a great guy. Just..." Beca sighed.

"Just what?" The redhead pushed, looking over at the other girl.

"Nothing." The brunette shook her head.

Chloe groaned. "You have to be honest with me if you want me to trust you."

"It's just stupid feelings." Beca shrugged. "Something I started realizing since he died."

"Do you want to talk about it?" The taller girl asked, shuffling a little closer to the brunette.

"It was just a relationship that got kind of stuck, you know?" Beca started. She knew she was not going to be able to stop now. "I knew I loved him, but I stopped being in love with him." She sighed. "That's when I started questioning myself. With him gone I had a lot of time to think about things now. I came to the realization that I wasn't as straight as I assumed I was. But.. I didn't know what to do with it so I just pushed it away.. until." She took a deep breath. "Until I met you." 

Chloe's eyes widened a little and she looked up at the sky. "Hmmm..." She hummed, her mind working overtime. "Well… I mean… That's okay, right? At least no one cares about your sexuality anymore in the apocalypse." She said with a grin. Did the other girl just admit that she had feelings for her? She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"It's not that. When you started hinting that you're not straight my questions about my sexuality knocked on my brain's door and demanded to be thought about. They brought memories with them. How I always started to subconsciously look at girls more than guys. My countless sex dreams with girls. How I only had real female celebrity crushes. And it made me force to come to terms with the fact that I'm queer. I'm not sure if I'm 100% gay or maybe bi though. Just... for sure not straight." The brunette admitted. She took a huge breath. "That was a lot of admitting." She chuckled softly.

The redhead smiled. "Well, I'm glad you were able to realise that." She said, feeling a weird sense of pride. "I came out when I was 14."

"I see. What was it like?" Beca asked curiously.

"Pretty normal. I'm… I wasn't very respective of personal boundaries… which made it pretty clear to anyone when I liked someone." Chloe chuckled. "My parents said they knew from when I was very young."

"What do you mean, not respective of boundaries? Did you like... I don't know, barge into people's showers?" The smaller girl asked.

"Uhm… I can't deny that happened once. But I mean. I just… don't really care about personal boundaries. At least, before the apocalypse. If I had met you before, I'd probably already come on to you." The redhead stated matter of factly.

Beca's breath hitched as her head snapped to Chloe. "What?" She croaked out softly.

Chloe shrugged. "Get some alcohol in me and I would be all over you." She snickered. "But I guess that was before the apocalypse."

"Of course." The brunette turned her head back to look at the stars, her thoughts running wild. This was getting too much for her. She knew the other girl was attractive, but apparently the girl also found her attractive. "Why would you need alcohol though? Can't you just... Do it like that?" She asked, a blush forming on her face.

"Yeah. Sure." Chloe sniffed. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. And I've become more scared myself. "

"I see." Beca nodded. "Thanks for.. respecting my boundaries." She whispered.

"You're welcome." The taller girl replied, shuffling even close to the brunette so their shoulders were almost touching.

Beca looked up at the sky. "Without any electricity and lights the stars stick out more. It's really great. Gives you a glance of how huge the universe really is."

Chloe smiled. "I know right? It's so fucking pretty." She moved her arm out so her fingers brushed against the smaller girl’s hand.

Beca's breath got caught in her throat again as she felt the other girl’s obvious attempt to take her hand. She had to decide. Did she want to make it awkward and say she wasn't ready yet and didn’t want this or should she just dive in, throwing everything into the wind? Her words replayed in her head. "You never know when you die, so live your life to the fullest and do the things you want to do before you regret not doing them." She scoffed at herself internally. What was she, a philosopher? She closed her eyes and lifted her pinky, intertwining it with the redhead's pinky.

Chloe smiled. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to her to be able to be close with someone again. "I'm glad you saved me that day, Beca. I was about to shoot myself in the face." She whispered.

"Well. I just couldn't leave you to die. I don't want to know how it feels like to be turned into a zombie." The brunette shuddered. "It's probably not nice."

The redhead nodded. "I think it's like dying. The light fades and your personality is gone. The only part of your brain that still works wants one thing: to eat humans." She said softly. At least, that's what she told herself to be able to sleep.

"Hm. Sounds valid." The smaller girl nodded. "Speaking of. Isn't it weird we didn't encounter any at all while we’ve been out here?"

Chloe's face turned towards Beca. "We've been here for an hour and seen none… you're right, that is strange..."

"Is it stupid that I want to bask in this false safety until it's too late?" The brunette asked, turning her head. Her nose was almost brushing the other girl’s now.

"No, it's not stupid at all." The redhead whispered, looking into Beca's eyes intently. Her heart skipped a beat as she realised how close the brunette was to her.

"But that's how people die in movies." The smaller girl whispered, her eyes getting lost in Chloe's.

"Movies aren't real." The redhead spoke softly. Her eyes flicked down to the brunette's lips.

"But they do portray the possible dangers." Beca bit her lip.

"I don't give a shit about anything else than your eyes right now." Chloe stated and immediately regretted speaking her thoughts out loud.

The brunette blushed lightly. "My eyes?" She asked shyly.

"Yes." The taller girl replied, her gaze boring into them. "I've never seen anything more beautiful."

"Yours remind me of the ocean." Beca whispered. "It feels kind of liberating."

"Thanks." Chloe blushed. She moved her hand up to stroke a piece of stray hair behind the brunette’s ear. "Is your heart also beating so loud?" She whispered.

"I don't know. I feel deaf." Beca replied. "That's how loud it is."

The redhead snickered. "Can I hear?" She whispered.

"You're so weird." The smaller girl muttered. "But sure."

Chloe shuffled down and pressed her ear against Beca's chest, hearing her heartbeat.  _ Badum _ .  _ Badum _ . For some reason, it made the girl feel really calm. Like it was telling her that the brunette was okay, she was still living and fighting. "Woah." The redhead whispered.

"What's it telling you?" The smaller girl asked as she wrapped her good arm around the redhead carefully.

"That you're alive and kicking." Chloe answered softly. "And that you're a little nervous." She added with a smirk.

"Me and nervous? My heart is telling lies." Beca chuckled softly.

The redhead smiled. She let her hand trail over the other girl’s arm, still listening to her heartbeat intently.

The brunette looked back up at the sky. The fire was crackling softly and the grills were chirping. It really makes it seem like it was just another night, like the apocalypse had never happened.

"I wish we could stay here forever." Chloe whispered after a while.

"Me too." Beca whispered as she started running her hand through the redhead’s hair absentmindedly.

Chloe smiled and wriggled up again so she was facing the other girl. "Hi." She smiled.

"Hi." The brunette replied shyly. They looked at each other, neither feeling the need to speak up. They just looked into each other’s eyes, drowning and getting lost in them.

"Beca…  would… would it be okay if I kissed you?" The redhead asked, blushing.

"Do the things you want to do before you regret it, right?" Beca replied, her gaze dropping onto Chloe's lips. She let her eyes flutter back up to meet the redhead's. Her heart was definitely racing now.

The other girl didn't need another word and ducked forward, softly pushing her lips onto the brunette’s.

Beca's hand flew up to Chloe's cheek, cupping it as she adjusted her lips so she could kiss the redhead properly. Her stomach was doing somersaults and she smiled softly.

The taller girl felt her heart beating loudly in her chest as she kissed the brunette, feeling more alive than she had since the apocalypse started. Her arms snaked around the other girl’s back as she pulled her closer.

 

As Beca wanted to deepen the kiss, her ears perked up as she heard voices close to them, getting louder. She pulled back immediately, grabbing her backpack and her rifle and looking into the darkness, her chest heaving slightly from the kiss, her face a little flushed.

Chloe almost groaned at the loss of contact but followed suit, grabbing her shotgun tightly. "What… what did you hear?" She hissed, as she didn't hear anything because she was too preoccupied with kissing the brunette.

"Voices." Beca whispered. The voices were gone now, and the brunette squinted her eyes. Before the redhead could open her mouth, a few people stepped out of the house. 

"Hey, who are you?" A female voice called out. 

"Depends who's asking." Beca retorted. 

"Haha. Very funny." A male voice spoke up. 

"What are you doing in our garden?" Another female voice asked. 

"We borrowed your camping equipment. Cooked us our dinner." The brunette shrugged as she stood up.

Chloe stood behind the other girl, peeping over her shoulder. "We're sorry… we were just hungry." She squeaked. 

The male barked a laugh. "Isn't everyone, darling?" He asked, sneering. "Do you girls always take what's not yours without asking?"

"Well, you weren't home when we came and you basically always take what's not yours in order to survive, so..." Beca shrugged. 

"That's really rude." A teenage boy spoke up. 

"Whatever. We'll be out of your hair. Thanks for the equipment." The brunette nodded and she turned to go.

"Hold on, missy. Not so fast." The older man said and the clicking of a gun could be heard. The redhead’s eyes widened as he aimed a handgun at Beca's back, who froze. "Turn around, drop the gun and hold up your hands." He ordered, a smirk playing on his lips. He looked over at Chloe. "You, red, do the same. Hands up." The girls obeyed, looking at each other with scared eyes. "Hey Rodney, you remember these magazines we found some days ago and you told me you'd never felt real boobs before?" The older man asked the teenager. "I think these ladies should repay us by letting you cop a feel."

"Go with me." The brunette immediately spoke up, stepping forward. 

"What do you say Rodney? Who would you want more?" The man asked. 

The boy looked between Beca and Chloe, biting his lip. "Dad, I don't think I--" 

"Quit the crap. With this set of mind you’ll never get any action. Nice guys never get girls. Bad guys do." The man sneered. "So pick one." 

Rodney looked between the girls again. "I'll take you." He sighed as he pointed at the brunette. Beca stepped forward gladly. The redhead protested, but the brunette waved her hand, motioning her to be quiet. She stepped in front of Rodney and his dad who still had the gun pointed at the girl. She glanced him up and down. Then, everything went by fast. Beca grabbed the gun and yanked it out of the guy's hands with such a speed that he gave off an accidental shot into the sky. Then, she threw the gun away. She had seen that the others were unarmed, so she decided to take her chance. "Never. Underestimate. A woman." She said through gritted teeth. "And you Rod? Keep up your mindset. Always ask for consent."

Chloe looked at the other girl, amazement splayed over her face. She moved up behind Beca, putting her hand on the brunette's shoulder softly. "Let's go, Becs." She whispered, kind of scared of what Beca was going to do if she got angry again.

"Bye guys." The smaller girl waved at the group before taking off with Chloe, their hands intertwined.

They ran to their car before speeding off, Beca being the one driving again. "That was something." She giggled.

The redhead chuckled. "I'm… I can't believe you did that." She said, looking at the brunette admiringly.

"I got a lot of surprises up my sleeve." Beca smirked. Her eyes fell onto the fuel gauge. "Hm. Might last us to Tallahassee."

Chloe leaned back in her seat, absentmindedly touching her lips. She couldn't believe she had just kissed the other girl. Her heart beat loudly in her throat as she thought about how soft the brunette's lips had felt on hers. She had kissed lots of girls before, but this felt different. Almost like… it was too much for her heart to handle.

Beca sped on the highway, driving faster than she had ever driven and she was loving it. They passed zombies and abandoned cars, and the brunette looked over the buttons in the car. “What do you think this does?” She said to the redhead, who shrugged. Beca pressed it and a buzzing sound was heard as the sunroof slid back. “Good to know!” The brunette grinned. Once the roof backed up fully, the cold night wind came into the car, whipping their hair around a little. "Woooooo!" She yelled as she raised a hand. She felt so carefree right now, like she could conquer anything.

The redhead chuckled as the wind blew through her red curls. Seeing the other girl smile like this, so carefree and happy, made her heart flutter.

 

Beca drove the entire night. She eventually let the roof back up and Chloe fell asleep, to the brunette's surprise. The car engine was starting to give off a warning signal that the gas is low. "Come on, just til the beach." She begged the car. She had passed Tallahassee a while ago and was currently heading to Hudson as she had always wanted to visit the city. As the sun started rising, they arrived, and the brunette let out a thankful sigh. "Thank god." She looked outside, the waves calmly washing up to the shore. A few zombies were stumbling around, but they didn't bother them. Beca locked the doors and leaned her seat back, closing her eyes. She fell asleep pretty quickly.

 

Chloe woke up from the sunlight streaming into her eyes and she stretched, yawning. Her eyes roamed the view and her breath got caught in her throat as she saw the rising sun on the surface of the sea. The waves were washing up on the shore and it looked like the entire sky was on fire. The redhead looked over at Beca, who was sleeping soundlessly next to her, her mouth slightly open. A smile tugged at her lips when she looked at the sleeping girl and she noticed the brunette’s hand was draped over the side of her seat. The taller girl softly slipped her hand into Beca's, squeezing it.

The brunette slightly squeezed her hand back. For the first time in a long while she had a dream. An actual dream. 

_ She was standing at the shore, the waves washing around her feet. She looked over the peaceful sea, a smile on her face. Jesse came up next to her, also looking out over the sea. "Hey." He greeted her with a soft smile.  _

_ "Jesse?" The brunette asked, turning her face, shocked.  _

_ "Sup?" He grinned and Beca wrapped him in a tight hug.  _

_ "Oh my god. I miss you so much." She sniffled softly.  _

_ "I miss you too. But I'll live on. In your memories." The man smiled.  _

_ "Jess.. I'm sorry..." The small girl looked onto the floor.  _

_ The brunette boy understood. "Hey." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "I knew we weren't working out anymore. Remember the conversation we had before I died? About you not worrying about me and that I'll forgive you for anything?" Beca nodded silently. "I still mean it. So, who's Chloe?" Jesse asked, smiling.  _

_ "She... I don't know." The brunette sighed, kicking the sand.  _

_ "You know how supportive I was of you. That doesn't change. If she makes you happy, you should go for it. Apocalypse aside." The brunette boy said, wrapping an arm around the smaller girl.  _

_ "I just... this happened so fast. First I save her, then I'm suddenly in her home, then we're fleeing together, she sees me in my worst moment, still doesn't push me away and then we're sitting by the fire and kiss. It's just... So fast..." Beca sighed. "I don't want to make it awkward y'know?"  _

_ "Well, I think you should definitely voice your concerns. You don't want to hurt Chloe by making her feel used, do you?" Jesse asked. "If she has seen your worst moment, she'll surely sit down and properly talk with you."  _

_ Beca nodded, looking back out at the sea. "I guess you're right."  _

_ "Go and be happy with her, okay?" The man wrapped her in a hug and kissed her forehead. "I have Benji to hang out with now so I won't be so alone. You have Chloe and won't be alone again. I believe in you that you don't fuck it up, alright?" He smiled.  _

_ "Thanks Jess." The girl whispered. _

_ "Speaking of. She's approaching. I'll see you around okay?" Jesse smiled and waved at Beca before his figure vanished. Chloe had reached her by now and slipped her hand into the brunette's, squeezing it. They stood there, next to each other, holding hands and looking out to the sea. Beca smiled softly and squeezed the redhead's hand back, feeling like she could take on anything, as long as the other girl was with her. _

 

The redhead felt the brunette squeeze her hand a little tighter while she was looking out at the sea. Her eyes roamed the other girl’s face and she noticed she was smiling in her sleep. She looked really pretty in the glowing sunlight and Chloe felt her heart swell. She softly stroked her hand over the brunette's arm lovingly, not wanting to wake her up.

Beca's eyes fluttered open as the sun tickled her nose. She sneezed and looked up, startled. "Oh." She said when her eyes fell onto the redhead. "Hey."

Chloe looked a little busted and averted her gaze, slipping her hand out of the other girl’s shyly. "Good mornin’."

"You slept." Beca commented as she stretched.

"So it seems." The redhead replied as she rubbed her eyes tiredly. "So did you."

The brunette nodded. "Felt good. I locked the car in case zombies would spot us." She looked outside as a few zombies walked past them, not really paying attention. "Thing is this car's basically empty now. But I made it to Hudson!"

"Yeah… that sucks. But why Hudson? Our plan was Tallahassee…” The taller girl furrowed her brows.

“Yeah well… Change of plans.” Beca stuck out her tongue.

Chloe sighed. “At least we've arrived at the ocean." She spoke softly. "It's really pretty."

"Yeah, I know." The smaller girl smiled. "The zombies aside." She giggled.

"Let's take ‘em out then." The redhead grinned, grabbing a machete from her bag. "Found this in one of the houses the other day."

"A machete?" The brunette asked, looking at it impressed. "I definitely want to see you in action."

"Yeah. I've had one before but I lost it." The taller girl smirked. "If you'd unlock the car, please."

"Sure." Beca did so and they got out, the closing of the doors making a few zombies look and then stumble their way. "Ready to take on some zombies?" She smirked.

"Ya." Chloe replied with a grin and she dashed towards them skillfully, slashing the machete and cutting off the first zombie's head. Its blood splattered on her face but she wasn't bothered by it, already moving on to the next.

"Shit." The smaller girl muttered. She stayed behind to watch the redhead, her mouth going dry at how hot she looked, but then she shook her head and readied her gun, starting to shoot the zombies as well, successfully taking them down.

After they were done, Chloe was covered in blood splatters. She was breathing a little heavily and kicked one of the zombie's heads. "Great."

"You should fight with a machete more often. You seem much more confident with it." Beca commented as she wiped her own forehead. She removed her flannel and tied it around her waist.

The other girl smiled and nodded. "I'm better at melee fighting. I don't like guns."

"Yet you still used them." The brunette shrugged. She looked at the water. "Wanna do what we came for?"

"Are you sure it's safe?" The redhead asked, biting her lip. She looked at the sun which was reflecting on the water now.

"I doubt the zombies want to go for a swim." Beca chuckled as she kicked off her shoes.

"How… how do we go about this?" Chloe asked as she started untying her boots.

"What do you mean?" The smaller girl asked. "Just get naked. What's the big deal?"

"Right..." The redhead trailed off as she started pulling on the hem of her shirt. "Could you help me with taking these bandages off?" She asked as she pulled the shirt over her head, though wincing as her shoulder protested.

"If you help me with mine in return." The brunette replied as her eyes were trained on the other girl’s trained stomach.

Chloe nodded and turned her back to the smaller girl. "Go ahead." She said with a smile.

Beca bit her lip as she loosened up the bandage, removing it carefully. "It seems to heal well. I'm glad." She commented as she let her fingers trace over the shoulder carefully.

The redhead shivered as the brunette’s fingers touched her skin. She turned around, facing the other girl shyly. "I'm glad too. It hurts less today as well."

"That's good." Beca smiled softly. "Now let's get into the water before the zombies come back. Remove my bandages?"

Chloe smiled and motioned for the smaller girl to turn around. She grabbed onto the shirt the brunette was wearing, tugging it up and Beca removed it. Her hands roamed over the bandaged up gun wound, removing it carefully. "It looks good." She concluded, rolling up the bandage to use again later. She hooked her fingers into the waistband of her own pants, slipping them off. When she did, she revealed an almost healed wound on her lower abdomen, obviously badly stitched up.

The smaller girl bit her lip as she saw it. "Was that your gun wound?" She asked carefully.

The redhead turned around shyly, now only in her bra and panties. "Yeah… I know it looks bad."

"Were you hit by a shotgun? A bullet from a handgun is smaller usually..." Beca commented as she traced over the scar, causing the other girl’s breath to hitch. Then, she removed her pants as well, now only standing in her underwear too.

"Yea. It was a heavy shotgun." Chloe answered, biting her lip. Her eyes roamed over the brunette's bare legs and stomach.

"Well. Last one in the water is a loser." Beca smiled smugly as she quickly got rid of her underwear and sprinted towards the sea.

The redhead looked at the other girl’s naked behind and snickered. She got rid of her own bra and panties and threw them on the sand before running into the sea after the brunette, giggling.

Beca dived into the waves quickly, coming back up shuddering. "It's still kinda cold!" She yelled, warning Chloe with a giggle.

The taller girl walked into the sea a little more careful, feeling goosebumps rise up all over her body. "Oh my god it is!" She whimpered

The brunette giggled as she swam around. "Get in here and start swimming! You'll get warm that way!"

Chloe was looking down at the water with her arms wrapped around her chest protectively. "But… I'm gonna freeze to death!"

"For fucks sake!" Beca exclaimed and made her way over to the redhead, grabbing her by her arm. She brushed her breast that way but ignored it, pulling the other girl into the water with her. "There we go!"

Chloe let out a shaky breath as the cold water engulfed her, closing her eyes at the sensation. She groaned a little as her body protested. "Oof… It's cold alright."

"Don't be such a pussy." The brunette laughed as she splashed the redhead.

"I hate you!" The redhead exclaimed as she spluttered against the water sloshed at her. She tried to swim a little, but her shoulder protested. "Ouch."

"Sorry, forgot that you aren't as mobile as me. Though it does kinda hurt." Beca shrugged as she grabbed her shoulder. "But I ignore it."

The taller girl tried to smile but it was becoming more and more difficult to stay afloat. She accidentally took in a big gulp of water and coughed, struggling for breath.

"Hey, are you okay?" The brunette asked concerned.

Chloe tried to stay above the water desperately, her arm moving through it frantically. Her lungs tried to fill themselves, which made her cough even more. She realised with a shock that her lungs weren’t filling with air anymore.

"Shit!" Beca swam over to the other girl, grabbing her. The frantic movements made her struggle as well. "Chloe calm down, I got you! Let me pull you to the shore!"

The redhead tried to stay calm but her body was going into survival mode. Her face was turning blue as she frantically tried to breathe, her legs kicking in the water.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" The brunette cursed as she tried her best to swim towards the shore with the struggling girl. She knew the redhead was basically drowning in her arms, and she had to stop it. "I can't lose you!" She cried out as her feet finally hit the sand and she started running out of the water as best as she could, dragging Chloe behind her.

The taller girl felt her bare back hit the sand as Beca pushed her down on there. That was the last she felt as she passed out.

"Fuck! Chloe? Can you hear me?!" The smaller girl asked frantically as she gently slapped the redhead's cheek. When she got no response, she cursed. "Shit!" She looked around if any zombies were present, which they thankfully weren't, before she started the CPR. She knew Chloe had water in her lungs, and that needed to get out fast. First, even though it was unnecessary but she wanted to be sure, the brunette checked if the redhead was breathing on her own by putting her left ear closely to the other girl's nose, looking at her chest to see if the chest was rising and falling. When it didn't, she got on her knees and placed her hands on Chloe's chest, starting to pump in a steady rhythm while silently counting to 30. Then, she moved up to Chloe's mouth, opening it before blowing as much air into the redhead as she could. She repeated the actions, praying that it would work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	6. Grease

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellow! Sorry for the inconsistent updates, I'm (Seli) about to have my finals over the course of the next two weeks, so.. Fingers crossed! We'll post again on May 12th, promise. :D Enjoy the new chapter!

Chloe coughed up the water in her lungs and Beca immediately moved her forward so her airway was clear and the water streamed from her mouth. The redhead took in a big gulp of air, her eyes shooting open.

"Oh my god you're alive!" The brunette breathed out as she threw herself into the sand, wrapping her arms around the other girl.

The taller girl took in deep breaths, tears leaking from her eyes at the shock. Her heart and lungs hurt and she was so confused, her head swimming. She leaned into Beca's arms, hiding her face.

The smaller girl held her protectively as Chloe came to her senses, rubbing her back supportively and dusting off sand that way.

"W-What happened?" Chloe whispered, her voice almost gone.

"You died for a sec. Maybe not really died but you sure weren't breathing." Beca replied softly.

The redhead's eyes widened. "Woah..."

"Not woah! I could've lost you!" The brunette huffed. "I'm really glad I didn't."

"I know! But I thought dying would feel a little more… like a big deal." The taller girl replied, clearing her throat.

"Like a big deal?" The other girl asked. "You can't really think about the fact that you're dying. It's sometimes just BAM, you're out. There's no room for thinking."

"Damn...." Chloe said, rubbing her eyes. "Thanks for saving me." Her body felt so limp and tired and she closed her eyes again. "If you could just like… leave me here that'd be cool."

"I can't." Beca sighed. "There are zombies coming."

"I don't… think I can walk." The redhead croaked.

"Then I'll fight them." The brunette stated as she got up, grabbing her rifle. She reached into her backpack, taking out a silencer and screwing it on. Then, she put a scope on her rifle before she looked through it, skillfully taking out the zombies that were stumbling their way.

Chloe tried to push herself up but her body was completely drained so she hit the sand again. "Fuck."

"Rest. I got this under control." Beca replied as she took out another zombie. When there were none left, she sat back down, reloading her gun.

The redhead looked at the other girl, snickering a little. "You look so weird shooting those zombies naked."

"Stop checking me out then you creep." The brunette shrugged.

"Well… I'm sorry." Chloe croaked, averting her eyes.

"It's okay." Beca reassured. She put down her rifle. "I'll go wash off the sand real quick." With that, she walked back into the water, cleaning herself as best as she could with salty water. Then, she walked back out, grabbing a small towel she had in her backpack and used it as protection from the sand. "When you can get up again you can sit in the water to remove the sand on you. And a little bit of the blood. Your face is still not clean." She said with a chuckle.

“I almost died and all you can do is comment on the fact that my face is still covered with blood?” The redhead snickered weakly before she heaved herself up with a groan. "Jesus...." She groaned as she felt her muscles protest. "I feel like I was hit by a truck or something." She stumbled over to the water, nearly falling down in the shallows. She washed the sand off her back and arms, finally using her hands to clean her face a little. After she was done, she wrapped her arms around her legs after, her teeth clattering. "Help, I can't get up." She said in a baby voice to Beca.

The other girl rolled her eyes as she got up. "I was JUST drying off." She protested as she walked into the water, grabbing one of Chloe's arms. She looped it over her neck and made her way to the towel with her, letting her sit down on it before she plopped down next to her.

The redhead shivered. "I'm literally so cold. " She said, looking at the brunette, her lip trembling. Her lips looked a little blue.

"Let me grab that blanket from the car, okay?" Beca offered as she fished out the keys from her pants’ pocket and quickly sprinted to the car, retrieved the blanket and came back in record time. "Also helps you dry off." She nodded as she dropped it onto the redhead.

"Thanks." The taller girl replied softly as she wrapped it around her shoulders. "This is kinda nice. Reminds me of my senior year. Except less of the almost dying part."

"Do tell." The brunette nudged the other girl as she dropped down next to her again.

"Hmmm… I used to go skinny dipping a lot when I was drunk. At the lake." Chloe started with a grin. "I like to strip when I'm drunk."

"Good to know." Beca said, raising her eyebrow. She looked out at the sea, the wind blowing the water droplets on her skin around while the sun dried them. It made her feel cold, but also warm at the same time.

 

"I wish we could go on holiday. Like, to Hawaii or Paris or something. But the planes are no longer running." The taller girl sighed after a while.

"We could go to Canada or Mexico. Or learn how to sail a boat and start a journey to the great unknown." The brunette thought aloud. "Do you think the apocalypse only hit us?" She asked after a while. "Like, what if this continent got infected and the rest of the world was like "Nah, we're not gonna help. We're gonna let them fend for their own. Don't need those kinda diseases."? It'd be really mean."

"No. I heard the whole world has gone to shit." Chloe asked softly. "Canada sounds nice. Maybe we could ride some moose." She added with a giggle.

Beca laughed. "Ride a moose? That would just be weird. Those shits are huge! And they can be dangerous."

They both smiled and fell silent again.

“Do you know what caused it?” Chloe asked after a while. “The whole dead people roam the earth-thing?”

"Not really, no. There were helicopters flying over our city saying that a virus has broken loose and everyone should get themselves to safety. Then there were these guys who were already zombified and everybody with a little brain figured that it was the zombie apocalypse." Beca replied, shrugging.

"I think it's something in the air. We're all infected. Timebombs waiting to go off. It scares me..." The redhead replied softly, looking down. "I am really scared of becoming one of them." She whispered.

"You really think the air's polluted?" The smaller girl asked as she rested her head on her knees.

"Yes. How else did everyone get infected? You die, you become a zombie. No exceptions." The other girl replied, tracing her fingers in the sand.

"But why didn't the guy I smashed the piano on turn into a zombie?" Beca shot back.

"Because you destroyed his brain." Chloe shrugged.

"Hmmm. I see." The brunette replied before looking back out to the sea. "Can you make room for me? I'm getting kind of cold now."

The redhead blushed as she opened the blanket. "Okay. Come in."

 

Beca scooched closer, their bodies pressed against each other now. "Thanks." The brunette smiled shyly. "I'm really glad I didn't break any of your ribs during CPR btw. It happens sometimes."

"Great. Thanks for keeping them intact." Chloe rolled her eyes, cringing at the idea.

"Yeah. I'm proud of myself." The smaller girl chuckled. "Man, I've smiled and laughed more than I did in a while. You're making me lose my badass persona." She complained, nudging the redhead.

"I like it. Your smile is very pretty." The other girl admitted shyly.

"Thanks. You do look kind of adorable when you smile. Suits you." Beca winked.

Chloe blushed furiously. "T-Thanks." She looked away from the brunette’s piercing eyes and drew a heart in the sand absentmindedly.   
"A heart?" The smaller girl smirked, raising her eyebrow. "What's up with that?"   
"I dunno. Just drawing." The redhead said nervously.   
"Sure." The brunette grinned before looking back out at the sea,   
Chloe wrote a small B next to the heart and then added a very small C at the bottom, smiling down at it.   
"Softie." Beca commented.

"Shut up." The redhead retorted, blushing.

The brunette turned her head with a smirk. "Make me."

The other girl raised her eyebrows. "Kay." She said, cupping the brunette's cheek and pressing her lips onto hers. 

Beca hummed against the other girl’s lips. "I'll also take that as a thanks for saving you." She mumbled before she deepened the kiss.

"No, this is just so you'll shut up." Chloe deadpanned, a smirk tugging at her lips.

The brunette pouted. "Rude."

Chloe pulled away with a smile. She let her hands roam over the smaller girl’s back, pulling her close again and pressing a long kiss on her lips. "That is for saving my life. Twice now."

"Sounds acceptable." Beca hummed.

"I'm glad." The redhead replied with a smile.

The brunette leaned over to their backpacks and retrieved the bandages they stored away. “Are you dry?” She asked the other girl, who shrugged. “I guess.”

“Okay, I’ll reapply them to your shoulder. It looks really blue. Don’t think it should be without support for too long. Turn around for me?” She asked sweetly.

The redhead obeyed and savored the feeling of the other girl’s tender fingers dancing over her skin to apply the bandage. Beca patted it proudly. “Now you.” She handed Chloe the other bandage and the taller girl proceeded to apply the bandage on the smaller girl’s shoulder, gently tracing the bullet wound. Beca shivered a little and bit her lip before she turned back around. "Alright, get up. We should get dressed and figure out how the hell we proceed now." She said, smacking Chloe's leg before standing up.

The other girl nodded but stayed where she was. "I don't know if I can get up." She whispered, wrapping the blanket around her.

The smaller girl threw her her clothes. "Then you'll get dressed where you are." She shrugged as she started putting on her underwear.

Chloe did as she was told and felt her body warm up a little more as she shuffled on her jeans. "Hmm.."

"You done?" Beca asked as she grabbed her rifle.

"Ya." The redhead replied. She heaved herself up, but her legs protested. "Goddammit..."

The brunette plopped down in front of the other girl, her back facing the taller girl. "Wrap your arms around my shoulders. And your legs around my waist." She ordered.

Chloe did what Beca said, leaning her head on the brunette's shoulder. "And now?"

"Hold onto me." The brunette heaved herself up so that she was carrying the redhead. "I'm taking you to the car for now." She stated as she stepped towards the vehicle, her legs a little protesting from the weight she was carrying. She ignored it, continuing her way.

Chloe felt a weird sensation in her stomach as Beca carried her to the car. She realised they were butterflies and she mentally slapped herself. "There's not time for that in the apocalypse." She whispered softly.

Since the redhead was close to the brunette’s ear, the smaller girl heard it. "No time for what? Carrying you?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Nothing." The taller girl quickly replied, blushing.

"Sure." Beca smirked. They reached the car and the brunette unlocked the door, opening it before setting Chloe back down on her feet. She still supported her as she let her drop softly into the seat. "I'll go grab our stuff. Be right back." She sprinted back to the beach, grabbing her backpack, machete and rifle along with Chloe's backpack, the towel and the blanket. She carried everything back to the car and put it in the backseat. She tried to dust off most of the sand beforehand.

The redhead leaned back in her seat, letting out a breath. "Today was crazy."

"No shit Sherlock." The brunette replied as she dropped into the driver's seat. She locked the doors so they were at least a little safe again before exhaling.

Chloe looked at the other girl. "So… what's the plan?"

"I will take this time of relaxation to write." Beca stated as she retrieved her journal from her backpack. "Feel free to do whatever."

"Great." The redhead stared outside. Then she remembered the comics she found the other day and got one from her backpack, leaning over the seat to reach the backseat. She let out a strained huff when she got it, and got back in her seat, opening up the comic with a smile.

"Dork." The brunette commented as she clicked her pen.

_ Journal entry 77. Oh boy. Chloe and I kissed. I don't know how it happened, but she asked me and I agreed. We had stopped in Attapulgus and somehow ended up camping out at the one house that was preoccupied. But we had a nice meal. And a nice fire. And a nice view of the stars. Anyways, the guys living there threatened us and after my awesome self defense skills we were outtie. I drove us the entire night. Plan was to go to Tallahassee but now we’re in Hudson. Chloe fell asleep eventually during the car ride. When I arrived at the beach I also went to sleep. Dreamt of Jesse. And Chloe. Jesse was really accepting and understanding and I think that dream meant that I'm moving on from him to Chloe. God. It's not like I love her or anything. We went for a swim and it was fun until Chloe drowned in front of me. We should have known swimming would become difficult for her with her hurt shoulder. Thankfully, I saved her with my CPR skills AND managed to not break a single rib. Proud of myself. We kissed again which was kind of nice. Her body also feels really nice. And looks nice too. Goddamnit. There’s no time to ramble about this. Now we're gonna figure out a plan how we're gonna get around. The car isn't gonna last for long. Fingers crossed we'll find something! _

She closed her journal with a loud clap, making the redhead jump in her seat.

"Jesus, don't scare me like that!" Chloe said, laughing. Her eyes were scanning the pages of the comic with a small smile.

"Sorry." Beca smiled sheepishly. "Whatcha readin?"

"I dunno. It's just this comic I found." The taller girl replied without looking up.

"Just look at the cover. Then you'll know." The brunette rolled her eyes.

The redhead smiled and flipped the cover. "H-Harley Quinn?" She read, a little confused.

"Oh, she's a cool gal. Bisexual too." The other girl smirked. "I love her."

"Oh." Chloe simply replied, flipping the cover again so she could continue reading. "She has this crazy boyfriend, I think."

"The Joker." Beca provided.

"Yes. He has green hair." The redhead said, pouting. "I don't like him."

"Because he has green hair?" The brunette chuckled. "Not because of the stuff he did?"

"What stuff?" Chloe asked, finally looking up.

"Uhm. He killed a lot of people. Abused and tortured them. He basically converted Harley to the girl she is now." Beca explained.

"Hmmm… Yeah, he doesn't sound like a nice guy." The redhead said with a pout. "Poor Harley."

"Yeah well." The smaller girl shrugged. "Psychopaths aren't that fun to be around."

"I guess so." The other girl snickered. "How do you know so much about this?" She asked curiously.

"I’ve read the comics as a kid. And when I didn't anymore, I kept up with them on tumblr." Beca shrugged.

"I didn't have you pegged as a nerd." Chloe laughed.

"There's a lot of things you surely wouldn't have pegged me for." The brunette retorted. "Appearance isn't everything."

"Yeah. I guess so." The redhead smiled. She closed the comic. "We need to decide what to do..."

"I think we could get like. 10 miles with the car? Then we'd have to walk or find another working car." The smaller girl shrugged. "I wouldn't know where to go though. I don't really wanna head west because it's gonna get hotter and that would mean we're probably gonna die of dehydration."

"Cold is good. I heard the zombies become slower in the cold." Chloe suggested, clearing her throat.

"Okay, but we need to drive some miles to get anywhere near the cold." Beca pondered. "We should really try our luck by driving this baby as far as she can go. I really can't believe there aren't any gas stations so close by... though I think... I saw some on the way here. Lined up along the street. There were signs pointing to it. I’m an idiot."

"Maybe we can siphon the gas from other cars too? You'd be surprised how many cars still have gas in them." The taller girl suggested as the brunette started the car.

"Shit yeah. You're right." Beca tapped her nose as she drove to the gas station which they thankfully found. "Alright, seems totally trustworthy and surely stocked with gas." The smaller girl leaned over the redhead to open the glovebox and retrieved the car’s manual from it. “Okay, we need regular gas.” She concluded after she flipped through it before she stashed it back into the glovebox.

Chloe put her hand on the other girl’s arm as the girl opened the car door. "Please be careful." She said softly.

"No I'll shoot everything up." The brunette rolled her eyes. She grabbed a canister which she could fill up with gas and tried the few stations that were there. One station offered a little regular gas, filling the canister halfway. "Better than nothing." Beca sighed as she poured it into the gas tank of the car. Then, she climbed back in. "This one's officially dry."

"We should have probably figured." The redhead replied, biting her lip. "Well… we can look for cars and pump the fuel out. But that would mean leaving the car which I don’t think I can yet."

"Well, the cars standing around here surely are inviting. We just need to know if they're filled with the same gas that we use." The brunette shrugged.

Chloe looked at the 3 cars standing around. "Right… I guess." She said softly.

"So I opt for breaking their windows, making the alarm go off, attract zombies, look for the car’s manual and see if they also have to be tanked with regular gas." Beca nodded confidently.

"Wait… why would we do the alarm thing? You can turn those off pretty easily. The fuse is often placed in the hood." The redhead deadpanned.

"Smart." The smaller girl tapped her nose again. "Really smart."

"Yeah. I have some use, you know." The taller girl smiled. "Do you have pliers?"

"Uh... I don't think so. Maybe this car has?" Beca asked as she looked around. "Open the glovebox again maybe? I don’t think I saw some there though..."

Chloe did what the other girl told her to and opened the glove department. It revealed a gun and a pack of condoms. "Great." The redhead replied with a huff.

"The guy was prepared. Guess we’re not getting pregnant!" The brunette stated sarcastically. She went out of the car and opened the trunk, her eyes widening. "Dude! We've been driving around with fucking food and water!" She exclaimed. "And two canisters of gas!"

The redhead looked at Beca with confused eyes. "How did we not check the trunk…?"

"Always check the booty for booty." The smaller girl sighed as she facepalmed. "Here, a Snickers." She threw the candy at the other girl. "I'll fill up the car with one canister and then we'll loot other cars for gas."

Chloe's eyes widened at the chocolate bar in her hands. "I… I… I feel like I'm going to cry."

"Don't." Beca warned as she closed the trunk again. She munched on her Snickers as she filled up the car, humming softly to a song.

"I haven't had chocolate in so long." The redhead confessed.

"Me neither." The brunette said as she climbed back into the car. "There's more in the back."

"Seriously? Wow." The taller girl started unwrapping the chocolate, looking at it with big eyes.

"Yeah. But not much." Beca shrugged.

Chloe nodded and took a huge bite from the chocolate. She moaned as her taste buds exploded, feeling the chocolate and caramel on her tongue. "Mmmm."

The brunette's face flushed lightly as scenes flooded her mind that shouldn't be there.  _ Stop thinking about boning her Mitchell. _ She thought. "How are you feeling?" She asked instead.

"A bit tired. And my lungs hurt. But I think I'm okay." The redhead replied with a full mouth.

"I would tell you to rest but I'd feel more comfortable if we filled up the canisters we got and the car so we can drive for a while." Beca replied.

"Yeah. I can help." Chloe smiled kindly. "I'll sleep when we drive."

"Good. Finish up your candy and then we can go." The smaller girl nodded as she twirled the pliers she had found in her hand.

"You found those in the trunk?" The redhead asked as she finished her chocolate.

"No I pulled them out of my ass." The brunette deadpanned.

"Great." Chloe replied just as serious.

"Let's go and get ourselves some gas." Beca smiled as she got out of the car again.

The redhead nodded and followed the brunette. They took a jerry can and a siphon pump and went towards the first car. "Okay. You give me the pliers. I'll disconnect the fuse." The taller girl instructed, holding out her hand.

The other girl handed Chloe the tool. "You better know what you're doing. Let's hope this car is loaded up with the right gas." She sighed as she kicked against the flat tire.

The redhead nodded and took the pliers in her hand. "Okay. Can you open the hood?" She asked as she leaned forward towards the car.

Beca hummed and walked to the hood of the car and swiftly opened it. "There you go."

Chloe looked into the hood, which looked dusty. She spotted the electric panel and disconnected the fuse of the car alarm, sticking out her tongue in concentration.

The brunette leaned against the car and watched the redhead work with crossed arms. "How come you know this stuff?"

"Uhm… My dad had a car shop. I helped him sometimes." Chloe replied. She wiped her face, which caused a dark stripe of grease to smear on her cheek and forehead.

"And you always slathered yourself in grease as well?" Beca laughed as she looked at the smear.

The redhead blushed. "I don't have my work gloves." She shrugged.

The smaller girl looked around and her eyes fell onto a small puddle. She heaved herself up from the car and went to the back door to retrieve a tissue out of her backpack. She dabbed it into the puddle and turned around to face Chloe. "Give me your face." She ordered.

The taller girl looked at Beca. "Okay." She closed her eyes and felt the brunette’s slender fingers cup her chin.

"Don't part your lips. I'm not gonna kiss you." Beca chuckled as she started wiping the cold tissue over the redhead's forehead.

"I knew that..." Chloe whispered, ducking her head down embarrassedly. She felt the other girl clean her up and smiled. "This is awfully nice of you."

"Well I have to! If I gave you this tissue I'd probably turn around and when I look back you've choked on it because you accidentally inhaled it." Beca rolled her eyes.

"Wow. Rude." The redhead replied, pouting. “I’m not THAT clumsy!

The brunette wiped away the last streak of grease before booping the other girl’s nose. "I'm not taking any chances with you."

"I'm sorry." Chloe said, biting her lip. "I'll try to be less of a burden."

"You aren't a burden. Just… clumsy as hell apparently." Beca chuckled. "Alright, can I smash the window now?"

The taller girl smiled. "Go ahead."

The brunette's face lit up as she picked up a brick she found and hurled it with all her strength at the car. The window cracked but didn't break. So, Beca threw it again, this time managing to break it. She removed the glass pieces that could cut her arm open before she reached into the glovebox, retrieving the car’s manual. She opened it and scanned it. "Bingo, this one's a winner. Start pumping!" She cheered.

Chloe smiled and opened up the gas panel, connecting the pump to it. She softly sucked on it, being careful not to get any of the gas in her mouth and then connected it to the jerry can, hearing it fill up with a proud grin.

"This is awesome!" The brunette smiled as she watched the process in awe.

"Yeah! Look at how much is still in here!" The redhead mirrored her smile.

"That's really good." The smaller girl nodded. "What do we do if the canister's full but the car still has gas?" She asked.

"We hold up the pump and switch canisters." Chloe stated, biting her lip. "But we should definitely get more of them. Maybe there are some more in the station. Anything works basically. Any container."

"Yeah we still got one canister, but I should really grab some others." Beca grinned. "Be right back." She went to the station and broke in the window, walking into the store. She was surprised it was relatively untouched. She grabbed a few canisters and a few candy bars, stuffing them into her bra. She also grabbed a few more necessities before making her way back out. She dropped the stuff into the car before making her way back to the redhead. "That gas station was pretty untouched. There was almost nothing missing." The brunette commented.

"Weird. I would assume every place was raided by now. Lucky, I guess." The other girl shrugged. The gas tank of the car was empty and she screwed the lid on the freshly filled canister of gas, shaking it happily.

"Yeah!" Beca smiled. "Let's put it into trunk and raid a few more cars so we have spare."

"Okay!" Chloe smiled brightly and brought the canister over to the car, plopping it in the trunk.

 

They emptied the tanks of all the cars that they found in the streets around the gas station before returning to their car. They filled up the tank and the trunk with other full canisters. Then, the brunette leaned against the car with a happy sigh. "That's gonna last us a while... Hopefully."

"It looks like a lot." The redhead huffed, leaning against the car tiredly. "I'm dead."

"Here, dead. Another candy bar for your efforts." Beca smiled as she pulled out a candy bar from her bra.

The other girl’s eyes widened a little, looking at the brunette weirdly. "Okay… thanks, I guess."

"There's more where that came from." Beca winked. "The place's still packed."

"Great. " Chloe opened up the candy bar and took a bite. "Hmmmm."

The smaller girl pulled out a bar for herself. "We're being way too generous with ourselves. Like, god knows when we'll have the chance to eat this again." She chuckled.

"But it's so good though!" The redhead replied, taking another bite happily.

"True." The brunette nodded. "We'll raid the gas station some more and then we'll take the highway back up north I guess?"

"Yeah. We can get pretty far, I think." The taller girl smiled.

"Okay, then gas station and we're off." Beca nodded. She heaved herself up and walked with Chloe towards the shop. "Take water, food, everything you can find. Especially instant food, as much as possible. And snacks." She smirked as her eyes fell onto a chips bag.

The redhead nodded and started browsing the store, grabbing what she needed. Her eyes fell onto a big crate of stuffed animals and she looked over to Beca to see if the brunette was looking, before grabbing a giraffe from it. The other girl didn't notice because she was busy making beeping noises like a truck, wrapping her arms around a dozen bottles of water. Chloe grabbed some more instant noodles and a few cans of redbull. She also noticed a big collection of liquor behind the counter and called out for Beca. 

"Sup?" The brunette asked as she carried all the bottles in her arms.

"Look at that!" The redhead said, motioning to the liquor with her head.

"What about it?" Beca asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

The other girl rolled her eyes. "I want it!"

"No. Not allowed." The brunette glared.

Chloe pouted. "Why not?"

"We need to be on guard at all times." Beca warned. "We can't afford to get drunk! Now get your stuff into the... Is that a stuffed giraffe?"

The redhead tried to hide the giraffe from the brunette's sight, blushing furiously. "No..."

"What are you, five?" The brunette rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this stuff into the car." She walked outside, opening the trunk and the back door to start stacking the things they found into the car.

The other girl huffed and followed the smaller girl, crossing her arms after they were done. She had set the giraffe on the dashboard. "Great. This is a lot." She stated with a grin.

"Yep. I'll use the restroom real quick and then we're good to go. You should also pee before we go." Beca nodded as she walked back into the gas station.

Chloe nodded. She followed behind the brunette but slowed her steps as she noticed the liquor again. She looked at Beca, who had already gone into the bathroom stall and quickly snatched two bottles of Whiskey from the counter, bringing them over to the car and stuffing them in her bag. She was about to turn back to the gas station when she heard the brunette come out, and leaned against the doorframe, trying to appear casual.

"You're free to go now." Beca nodded. "I'll wait here." She said as she slipped into the car, buckling her seatbelt.

"Kay." The redhead smiled innocently and quickly hurried to the bathroom stall. She came back and shuffled into her seat, smiling at the brunette nervously.

"Alright, next stop: The great unknown!" The smaller girl grinned as she let down the roof again before they started driving back the way they came.

Chloe felt her hair whip in the wind and smiled, prepping her legs up on the dashboard, the giraffe in her lap. "This is kinda nice." She said after a while.

"And careless." Beca replied. "I should've gotten out my sunglasses."

"I broke mine." The redhead confessed softly. She looked at the other girl with a smile.

"Check my backpack on the right side. It contains two glasses. Hand me the Ray Ban ones and you can have the other." The brunette instructed.

Chloe leaned back in the seat and struggled to reach for Beca's backpack. She grabbed the two glasses and handed one of them to the other girl, plopping the others on her own face. "Woah. Cool."

"Yep." Beca nodded as she put on hers. "Makes driving a lot easier."

"And now we look cool as heck." The taller girl added dorkly.

"True." The brunette nodded. "Hey, are there any CDs on your side of the door?"

The redhead let her hand run through the side of the door. "Nope. Nothing here."

"What kind of boring ass car did this guy own?" Beca huffed. "Maybe in the glove box? We only saw a gun and condoms in there, but maybe there's more."

Chloe scrunched up her face. She opened the glove department and looked into it. Underneath the gun she found a playboy magazine, her eyebrows shooting up. "Oh."

"What? Any CDs?" The brunette asked hopefully.

"No..." The redhead replied, grabbing the magazine and opening it up. "Just… a magazine." She said softly.

Beca sneaked a glance. "If that's Playboy expect to find jizz in there."

Chloe dropped the magazine on the floor of the car. "Ew."

The smaller girl laughed. "You reactions are so funny to watch."

The other girl pouted. "I just wanted to look."

"Liked what you saw?" The brunette smirked as she wiggled her eyebrows.

The redhead blushed. "I don't know! I didn't get a chance to look!"

"Boring." Beca scoffed as she turned her attention back to the road. She rested her left arm on the car door, resting her head onto her hand.

"Hey, I didn't know what it was. Just wanted to check." Chloe mumbled.

"You don't know Playboy?" The brunette asked with a chuckle.

The redhead flushed red. "Of course I do!"

"Alright." Beca smirked. It was funny to embarrass the other girl. Even though she was clearly older and much more experienced than her, she still got easily flustered. "This sucks that there aren't even any CDs in this car. No music then."

"I know..." Chloe sighed. "I miss my guitar. That was the only way I could make music."

"It was really good what you played the other day." The brunette said softly. "I used to play the piano every day before the apocalypse."

"Really?" The redhead imagined Beca playing the piano and blushed. "Woah."

"Yeah, these are more talented than you think." The smaller girl smirked as she wiggled her fingers.

The redhead felt a blush appear on her cheeks. "I can only imagine."


	7. Deep conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back! Somehow I managed to survive some of my finals. And now you get a new chap :D You're definitely going to enjoy this...

They drove in silence for a while, the wind coming through the sunroof, refreshing the air in the car and cooling it a little. "Never have I ever owned a pet." Beca spoke up.

Chloe looked up. "Huh?" She asked with furrowed brows.

"Never have I ever owned a pet." The brunette repeated herself. "God, I'm trying to kill time."

"Oh… okay." The redhead replied. "I have owned a pet. But I can't take a drink." 

"This isn't about drinking." Beca rolled her eyes, chuckling. "Drinking is just one way to signal that you've done it. You can also verbally communicate if you did it or not. What pet was it? What was their name? Tell me about ‘em."

Chloe nodded. "It was a dog. A golden retriever. He was called Ash."

"Cool. Did you try to let him carry an egg in his mouth?" The smaller girl asked curiously.

"An egg?" The redhead said with a giggle. "Why?"

Beca gasped. "Because golden retriever's mouths are so soft they can carry an egg without breaking it! How could you not know that?!"

Chloe raised her eyebrows, looking the brunette up and down with a slight smirk. "Yeah..because that's something everyone should know."

"It is!" The other girl protested. "Anyways, your turn."

"Never have I ever had a crush on a teacher." The redhead said softly after a bit of thinking.

"Hmmm. There were some cute ones. There really was only one T.A. who stuck out, but after a few dates we realized it wasn't going to work." Beca replied nonchalantly. "Never have I ever had surgery."

"Wait a second, you dated a teacher assistant? Woa." Chloe snickered.

"Well if you find eye candy you gotta stick to it!" The brunette protested, which made the other girl laugh.

When she was done, she wiped her eyes. "I have had surgery, by the way."

The brunette nodded. “Cool. What kinda surgery?"

"I had my appendix taken out." Chloe frowned. 

"Boring." Beca commented, rolling her eyes. "You're up."

"Boring!? Do you know how painful it was? It felt like I was dying." The redhead protested with a giggle. "Never have I ever… kissed a boy."

"Boring again." The brunette frowned. "Of course I kissed a boy. Duh. Never have I ever done it in public."

"Done it?" Chloe whispered.

"Had sex." Beca sighed mockingly. "Are you that innocent?"

"I thought you meant kiss a boy in public! I got confused!" The other girl exclaimed. "Of course I've never had sex in public!"

"Sorry." The smaller girl chuckled. "Not even car sex?"

"Uhmm...no I don't think so." The redhead thought for a while. "Nope."

"Hm. I see." Beca licked her lips as she slowed down the car a little, closing the sunroof again. "Time for you to get some much needed rest missy."

"But...I'm not even tired." Chloe sighed, crossing her arms.

The brunette opened her mouth to make a comment about how she knew of a way to make the other girl tired but she bit her tongue. "Well, then I'm just gonna be silent until you get so bored you fall asleep." She shrugged.

"I can just talk to myself." The redhead replied smugly.

"Okay fine. I'd like to see you try." The smaller girl retorted.

"Alright." Chloe turned around in her seat, facing the other girl. "You know, I'm pretty good at amusing myself. I could talk about like… raccoons for a couple of minutes and then move on to facts about cars."

Beca nodded but didn't reply, concentrating on the road instead.

"Raccoons have 5 toes on their front paws that they can use like human hands. They're very dexterous and help them grab on to anything they can get to eat. They actually wash their food whenever their are near a body of water, making them seem like germaphobes." The redhead explained as she curled up in her seat.

The brunette raised an eyebrow. She had to bite back a comment as she didn't want to talk to the other girl in order so Chloe could fall asleep.

The redhead let out a soft yawn. "Raccoons are highly intelligent and curious creatures, but they can also be a nuisance to any homeowner. They can destroy a whole garden on their own and will steal your trash while they're at it."

Beca smirked a little. The girl was going to talk herself to sleep, just like she had assumed it.

Chloe's voice slowed. "Raccoons are known to have evolving intelligence and methods of thinking. They're able to learn from past experiences and posses problem-solving thinking… they… they're very smart." She mumbled. She closed her eyes and leaned her cheek against the car window.

The brunette did a small fist pump as she heard the redhead's breathing slow. She focused on the road, humming softly after a while. When she looked at the other girl, she had to smile. Chloe slept soundlessly, curled up in her seat, her breathing fogging up the window. It looked adorable.

 

After a few hours Beca stopped the car, careful not to slow down too abruptly so she didn't disturb the redhead. She turned off the engine and got out as quietly as possible before stretching and walking around for a few minutes, not straying far from the car. She spotted a huge mass of zombies in the distance, figuring that there must be a huge city close by. Or an airport. Or there was something weird happening. She didn't really see any signs on her way, so she wasn't sure. She didn't even know if they were driving into the right direction anymore. She definitely had to find out where they were and for that she needed a map. She made a mental note to find one soon. She opened the back door just as quiet and retrieved her journal, leaning against the car to write another entry.

_ Journal entry 77.1. We found a gas station which was practically empty. When I opened the trunk I found two full canisters with gas and some water. I also found chocolate bars which I shared with Chloe. How crazy is it that we’ve been driving around with something in stock? Maybe I’ll motivate Chloe that we check the cars we pump thoroughly so we can also find hidden treasures there. We pumped other cars for fuel and managed to fill up 4 canisters plus the car. Proud of ourselves. Now our plan is to drive north. I don't know if we're still driving north though. I definitely have to find a map sometime soon. Why do people not have a nice road map of America lying around? We definitely became too dependent on technology, that’s for sure. Chloe's finally getting the rest she needs, and I'm taking a break from driving as well right now. She knows an awful lot about racoons. I'm not gonna ask where she has that info from and why. Probably her favorite animal. Anyways, break over. Hopefully we're actually driving north. _

She closed the journal before putting it back into the backpack. Then, she got into the car again and started driving, hoping their way would lead them up to Ohio or Indiana.

 

After about 6 hours after falling asleep, Chloe woke up again. Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned softly.

"Welcome back to reality." Beca greeted her softly. The sun had started to set and the brunette still wore her sunglasses even though the sun blocker blocked out the streams of light.

"What time is it? Did I sleep for long?" The redhead asked, stretching. "I don't remember going to sleep."

"You literally talked yourself to sleep with your raccoon facts." The brunette laughed. "And I'm guessing for maybe... 6 or 7 hours? I don't know."

"Oh… that's kind of silly. I'm sorry you had to watch that." The other girl giggled. "Weren't you bored without me?"

"I managed. I sang a little, took some breaks, masturbated... The usual." Beca shrugged.

Chloe stared at her, wide eyed. "You… you didn't really… right?" She blushed a little.

"Yeah no shit dude. That'd be weird and gross." The smaller girl laughed.  _ So innocent. _

"I guess so..." The other girl swallowed heavily. She didn’t want to imagine Beca doing just that right next to her, which only made it harder to ignore the images flashing through her mind. 

"Anyways, do we stop somewhere and find a place to sleep for the night or do we stop the car here on the highway and sleep in it?" Beca asked.

"I could drive and you could sleep?" Chloe offered.

"That's also an option. I trust you not to crash this bad boy." The brunette nodded. "But we should fill up the tank beforehand. It's slowly nearing Empty again."

"Of course." The taller girl nodded. "I… I don't know where to go though. Where are we?" She looked around worriedly.

"I saw a sign saying Chattanooga. Dunno where that is though." Beca shrugged. "I was planning on getting a map soon."

"Chattanooga?" Chloe furrowed her brow. "Oh." She stretched. "Maybe it is better to stay here. So I don't drive us into a ditch.  We could put down our seats and actually lie down a bit. Would be better for my shoulder." She suggested, massaging it.

"Good plan." The brunette nodded as she slowed down the car, letting it eventually come to a halt. She opened the sunroof again, the warm evening air slowly sweeping in, engulfing them. She let her seat back and looked through the opening at the darkening sky.

The redhead smiled. She mirrored the other girl and put her one arm up, lying her head on top. "This is kinda nice." She said softly.

"It feels weird though. Because we're standing in the middle of a highway. If we did that pre-apocalypse, we would be dead." Beca chuckled. "The view of the sunset's nice though."

"Yeah." Chloe smiled. She yawned softly. "I hope we have enough gas to find snow."

"Do you think there's snow somewhere? In May?" The brunette snorted.

"Oh. It's May? How do you know that?" The redhead asked curiously.

"I jotted down the day of which the apocalypse started and kept counting from then on. Currently it's day 77." Beca shrugged. "It gives me some sort of reassurance, some sort of control."

"Well.... there's probably places where it's cold enough to snow. Like... Canada?" Chloe huffed. "What day of May is it?"

"The apocalypse started March 2nd, so... It should be the 18th of May." The brunette concluded. "And I guess Canada it is. Always wanted to visit Toronto anyways."

The taller girl smiled. "Woa. The 18th…Then it's almost my birthday."

"When's your birthday?" Beca asked.

"7th of June." Chloe smiled.

"No way." The brunette gasped. "That was my grandma's birthday!"

"I'm secretly your grandma." The redhead deadpanned.

"Oh grandma! You turned quite young!" Beca replied sarcastically. "And you're gross for kissing your granddaughter. On the mouth!"

Chloe laughed. "You're so weird."

"Sorry, just not that much of a fan of incest." The brunette shrugged with a laugh. "My birthday's on the 22nd of September by the way."

"That's a while. I.. I kind of was afraid I wasn’t gonna know when my birthday is and forget about it. I'm glad I know now." The redhead admitted with a yawn.

"You're just turning a year older. It's just a construct of society. You're aging every day, but after a year it's an anniversary." The smaller girl roller her eyes.

"So you're not even going to celebrate it with me? Another year of being alive in this god awful world?" Chloe pouted.

"Well, I mean I guess I have to." Beca replied. "Since we're stuck with each other."

"Well… you're not stuck with me. I mean, you could leave if you want." The redhead whispered.

"Yeah no that's not happening." The brunette replied, not being able to stop herself. “I’d be dead before that happens.”

"Oh… okay. Well I'm glad." Chloe smiled shyly.

Beca hummed as she spotted the first stars in the sky. "I've been stargazing more now than I've ever done in my life." She commented after a while.

The redhead smiled. "I used to do it every night, sitting on my roof. It's calming, isn't it?"

"Makes you want to go on big adventures and stuff." The brunette nodded.

"Yeah. Or go to space. I wanna see the moon from up close." The taller girl admitted.

"Well, sucks that you'll never be able to do that." Beca replied with a small smirk.

"Yeah. One of the many thing's I'll never be able to do." Chloe said softly.

"What are the others?" The smaller girl asked curiously.

The other girl looked away sadly. "I guess… Visit Paris, go to Disneyland, get married, adopt a kid..."

"Well, the latter two are still possible. You don't need a priest to pronounce you and someone wife and wife. And maybe there's an abandoned kid joining us on the way, then you have the kid you want." Beca shrugged, not realizing the underlying message she was sending. "And we could get to Paris. Just need to learn how to sail a boat and hope that we don't sink."

Chloe looked at the brunette. "You think there's abandoned kids out there? Oh no..." She bit her lip. "I guess we could go to Paris. But it'll be in ruins. Not like the Paris I want to see."

"You want the romantic side huh?" The other girl asked with a scoff.

The redhead blushed. "Yes. And… I wanna eat at a restaurant and see the Eiffel Tower."

"Yeah you won't be getting that. Except the Eiffel Tower maybe." Beca deadpanned. "But seriously, you can find romance everywhere. Literally. It's there, even when you don't sense it. Paris just got the label as the most romantic city in the world because people show their romance there more than they do at their home."

"I guess you're right. I've just never been to Europe. And Paris seemed nice. French girls are hot." Chloe shrugged.

"Oh." The brunette smirked, raising her eyebrow. "I never really got why French is supposed to be hot. Like. It's a language. Not a person you can look at."

"Well. Their accent is hot. I don't know. I'm just a simple lesbian." The redhead chuckled.

Beca giggled. "Well, I always thought girls and boys with a foreign accent were cute. I really love it when it's subtle. But as soon as it gets thick it's meh."

Chloe smiled and yawned. "What time is it?" She said softly.

"How the fuck would I know? I'm guessing something around 9 or 10." The brunette replied.

"The car has a clock. Idiot." The redhead snickered.

"Do I look like I want to look at it?" Beca retorted. "I just got comfortable. I don't easily do stuff that I don't want to do. Only with the right bribes."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "You’re annoying. Fine. I'm gonna sleep now, okay?" She turned her back to the brunette and curled up in her seat.

"Alright." The smaller girl rolled her eyes and closed the sunroof again before locking the doors. "Goodnight."

"Night." The redhead wrapped her arms around herself. She heard Beca's breathing slow after a while, and turned around to look at the brunette. She was fast asleep. After trying to sleep for a while, Chloe let out a sigh and sat up in her seat. She very silently unlocked and opened the car door and slipped out. She felt the cold air hit her face and sat down on the side of the guardrail. She looked over the mountains and the trees, completely engulfed in darkness. Her eyes roamed the sky, looking at the stars. She thought of her family, which were probably up there and felt tears well up in her eyes. Luckily, no one could see her as she let them fall freely.

 

Beca turned around after some time, accidentally smacking her arm full force onto the shift gear. She cried out as she woke up, rubbing her arm. She panicked when she didn't see Chloe in her seat. She quickly scrambled out of the door, looking around. "Chloe?!" She called out into the darkness.

The redhead heard the brunette’s voice rang out and she quickly turned around. For some reason, she felt like not saying anything and staying covered by the darkness, but she realised Beca was probably scared. "I'm here." She replied weakly. She had walked a bit away from the car, but the other girl should be able to hear her.

Beca's eyes fell onto a silhouette which she believed to be a stump, relief washing over her as she recognized it as Chloe. She jogged up and dropped down next to her. "Jeez, don't scare me like that. Why did you go out? Without your gun?"

"You were sleeping. I felt trapped. I don't know." The redhead shrugged. She didn't look at the brunette.

"Wanna talk?" Beca asked carefully, nudging the other girl.

"About what? There's not much to say." Chloe whispered.

"Okay." The smaller girl fell silent, looking up at the sky, deciding not to press on the matter. She spotted a shooting star and smiled softly.

"You wanna make a wish?" The redhead asked softly.

"Already did." Beca replied. "You too?"

"I don't believe in wishes." Chloe simply said.

"Wow. I assumed I'd be the one not believing in it and you'd totally be on board." The brunette chuckled.

"Well, why would you wish upon a star when you know it's not gonna work anyway?" The taller girl huffed. "It's just stupid."

"Hm. It helps saying your wish out loud though. I believe it gives you a confidence boost." Beca smiled softly.

"What if my wish isn't a happy wish?" Chloe asked softly.

The brunette turned to face the other girl completely. "What do you mean?" She asked concerned.

The redhead bit her lip. "Well… what if it's a sad wish? Like… Do they care if it's sad?"

"Well... A wish is a wish." Beca shrugged. "Why?"

"I don't know if I want it to come true." Chloe said after a while.

"Well.. what is it?" The smaller girl asked carefully, her stomach doing a weird flip, sensing she wasn’t going to like the answer.

"I kind of wished that this all would end. Even though I don't even know what that would entail." The redhead admitted.

"The.. the apocalypse.. or... More?" Beca pressed slowly.

"All of it." Chloe whispered.

The smaller girl nodded slowly. "I see." She wordlessly took the redhead's hands in hers, playing with them. "I get why you feel this way." She spoke up after a while. "I mean, we fight for our survival. What's the point in getting old? What's left to live for? I guess we'll never know. But... I just can't think about dying right now. I... I'd lose too much."

"But what is left in this world is only temporary. You know you're gonna lose everything sooner or later. It's just… so extremely tiring. Like my heart can't handle all that weight." The redhead explained sadly.

Beca hummed. "Why did you keep on fighting after you.. lost everything?" She asked. She knew it was a hard question, but she wanted to know.

Chloe let out a sigh. "Because there's one thing left I have to do. I just have to find the strength to do it." She whispered.

"What.. what is it?" The brunette asked.

The redhead looked right into Beca's eyes. "Kill Aubrey."

The smaller girl was taken aback. "You mean.. her zombified body?"

"Yes." Chloe deadpanned.

"I see." Beca bit her lip, thinking about what she could say. "And after that?"

"I guess… I was just gonna shoot myself." The redhead shrugged.

Beca couldn't help but feel sadness wash over her. She couldn't believe that Chloe wanted to kill herself. But it wasn't surprising. The brunette had often wondered as well why she kept on fighting. A tiny part of her brain told her it was because of the redhead. She pushed that thought away quickly. This wasn't the place not time to think about this now. "And now?" She asked before she could stop herself. She mentally slapped herself for how hopeful her voice sounded.

"I don't know anymore." The taller girl admitted, looking at the other girl.

Beca's eyes casted down, avoiding Chloe’s gaze. She didn't know what to do or say, so she just resumed with playing with the other girl's hands.

"I'm sorry if I made you sad." Chloe whispered after a while. "I'm fine."

"It's fine really." Beca replied. "It's just... A lot."

The redhead closed her eyes. "I understand. I shouldn't have said anything. Just… forget it, okay?"

"No, I feel honored you told me that." The brunette whispered, looking back up to meet Chloe's eyes.

The taller girl looked at her friend. "Honored? I feel like I just dumped so much on you."

"You don't know how much trust it takes to open up to another person. And I feel honored that you trust me enough after this short time." Beca replied softly.

Chloe looked up and smiled. "I trust you more than I trust myself."

"Woah." The brunette chuckled. "That's.. wow." She bit her lip. "Thanks for not running away when you've seen me at my worst I guess."

"I mean you dislocated my shoulder. I could hardly run." The redhead said with a wink. "I'm glad you came back after I told you to leave."

"I just can't leave you to die you know?" Beca admitted. "Who would entertain me otherwise?"

"With raccoon facts? Yeah, only I can do that." Chloe replied with a grin.

"It's really cute and cool that you know so much about them." The brunette admitted with a soft grin.

"They're my favourite animals." The redhead admitted shyly.

"I figured." Beca nodded. "Mine are cats. Boring, I know."

"Cats are amazing!" Chloe exclaimed. "I miss having pets. But I guess you'd have to get a house for that."

"Or find a pet." The brunette added, giggling.

"Also that… yes." The redhead snickered. "You're my pet now I guess."

"Kinky." Beca winked. "Put a leash around me and the kink is complete."

"At least you won't run away, that way" Chloe replied without missing a beat.

The smaller girl gasped as she smacked the other girl against her good shoulder lightly. "Are you suggesting I would leave you?"

"I mean… probably?" The redhead wrapped her arms around her shoulders, shivering a little.

"If I would leave you, would I do this?" The brunette asked as she shrugged off her flannel, wrapping it around the taller girl.

Chloe blushed at the gesture. "Thanks." She wrapped the flannel around her shoulders and looked at the stars. Suddenly, a soft sniffle came from her throat.

Beca looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You okay?"

The redhead looked at her friend with tears in her eyes. "Please… please never leave." She whispered.

"I won't." The brunette replied with so much confidence and dedication that it scared her.

"Really?" Chloe was full on crying now, her soft sobs racking her body.

"Yes." Beca smiled softly and cupped the redhead's cheeks, wiping away the tears. "I promise."

The taller girl snuggled into the brunette’s chest. "Thank you." She whispered.

Beca wrapped her arms around the redhead tightly. "You're welcome." She whispered, letting a tear fall herself.

 

They sat like that for a long while, just enjoying each other's warmth. At one point, Chloe was pretty sure the other girl had fallen asleep, but when she moved to look up, Beca looked back at her with a soft smile. "Let's get back into the car." The redhead whispered.

"Okay." The brunette stood up, groaning as her legs protested. She pulled the other girl up to her feet as well and together they walked the short walk to the car, their hands clasped together. They slipped into the car. "Sucks that you can't cuddle." The smaller girl mumbled angrily.

"We could if we put the backseat down. Then we can lie in the trunk and on the backseat partly." Chloe smiled.

"Good idea." Beca tapped her nose. "Let's do that."

"Okay." The redhead let out a groan as she heaved herself from the seat and slipped to the backseat. "There should be a handle somewhere here...." She groped around the backseat. "There!" She exclaimed as she pulled the handle and let the backseat fall back to create a bigger space. "I mean...it's not a bed… but..." She smiled at the other girl while she was sitting on her hands and knees.

"It'll do." The brunette smiled softly. They moved their stuff to the front seats and created a little more room by pushing the stuff in the trunk aside. After they had completed their task, Beca huffed proudly and lied down. "Join me?" She asked shyly as she opened her arms.

Chloe didn't need to hear that a second time and she snuggled up to her friend, burying her face in the brunette's shoulder.

The smaller girl protectively wrapped her arms around the redhead and sighed contently. "Goodnight Chlo." She whispered.

"Goodnight." The other girl replied softly, closing her eyes. The panicked feeling in her heart ebbed away and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

 

They awoke from a loud bang the next day. Beca shot up, hitting her head on the roof of the car. "Ow." She cursed as she rubbed her forehead. Her eyes widened as she saw that the car was swarmed with zombies. Some were pounding against the doors, some were trying to invade the car. The brunette didn't hesitate a second before she climbed onto the driver's seat, not caring to put it up or to put on her seatbelt or to push the things lying around away. She started the car and sped off, ramming some zombies out of her way. "Please survive this." She begged as the car was splattered with mud and blood. She saw a few dents on the hood and one zombie managed to crack the windshield, but the girl kept driving. Eventually, she broke out of the swarm and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

Chloe had woken up the moment the car started moving but stayed down so she wouldn't be thrown around the car. She grabbed onto the seat and looked around terrified as she heard the bumps and splashes from the zombies. Her eyes were wide and she would scream if she could, but her voice was gone from the shock. Once the bumps stopped, she cleared her throat. "B-Beca?" She said softly.

"Yeah?" The brunette replied, her voice sore.

"What happened?" The redhead asked, slowly trying to shuffle forward a little.

"Zombies attacked our car." Beca answered, trying to regain her composure. "Surely not something you want to wake up to.

"Oh god. Yeah. I'm glad you woke up." Chloe said. "Can you slow down so I can sit next to you?" She asked shyly.

"No, we need to get away." The brunette replied as she sped up a little more.

"Okay...." The redhead frowned and laid down again. "If we crash, I'm dead, you know that?" She said after a while.

"Yeah." Beca nodded as she slowed down the car. "I think we're far away enough. Come forth." She blew out a breath and let her hands run along the steering wheel.

"Cool." Chloe replied as she got up carefully and shuffled into her seat. She let out a huff and leaned back after she made some room and let her seat back up. "I was just dreaming so nice...."

The brunette stopped the car and let up her seat again. "Do tell." She smirked as she put the things she was sitting on onto the backseat.

"Well, we were in Paris.” The redhead started, looking at the other girl shyly.

"We? As in, us?" Beca asked, raising her eyebrow. Upon the taller girl's blush, her eyebrow raised even more. "Dude, I hope I was complaining most of the time."

"You weren't, for once. We were up the Eiffel Tower and then zombies started attacking us, but then...then we both sprouted wings and flew off." Chloe explained, giggling.

"Wings?!" Beca snorted. "What the fuck Chloe?! As if we'd just fly away!" She laughed, slapping the steering wheel.

"Well… we did! And then we landed on a building and just… looked at the stars and stuff ." The redhead ended her sentence in a mumble.

"And stuff?" The brunette smirked. "What's the stuff?"

"Just...we made out and you know..." Chloe mumbled, blushing.

Beca gasped in mock offense. "Chloe! I can't believe I cuddled with you, you dirty little bird!" She giggled. "You're so fucking weird."

The redhead’s blush deepened. "Well, it was a dream! It's not like I can control what happens in them!"

"Well." The brunette grinned. "They say the dreams show what you want. Do you want to… do stuff with me?” She teased shamelessly.

The taller girl choked on her spit, coughing loudly. Her cheeks were flushed bright red and she tried to regain her breath.

"No need to choke on your spit just yet." Beca laughed. "I'm sorry."

"You better be!" Chloe said breathlessly, clearing her throat.

The brunette giggled. "I am. I can't say I didn't dream into the same direction..."

"Ew." The redhead said shortly, averting her gaze.

"What? You think it's disgusting now?!" Beca gasped. "You might want to know that it was way more romantic than your stupid Paris!" She said angrily before realizing what she said.

Chloe's eyes widened. "Paris isn't stupid!" She exclaimed. She crossed her arms with a huff and looked outside angrily. "What happened though?" She whispered after a while.

"I uh... It's stupid really. It wasn't set in the apocalypse at all. I went out on a date with you, a small picnic at my favorite spot and stargazing. We talked a lot. Like, an awful lot. And..." The brunette was blushing by now. "We kissed when I failed to light up a candle and you thought it was really cute and I was rambling and you shut me up and oh god this is awkward."

The redhead smiled softly. "It's not. Continue."

"Well we kept going on dates and it was really... Sweet. And uh... I... I asked you to prom." The smaller girl blushed. "And we slow danced. It was..." She took in a breath. "Perfect."

"Prom? Woa." Chloe's smile widened. "That sounds like a great life, Becs."

"It would've been." Beca rubbed her neck awkwardly. "Anyways..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

The redhead snickered. "I didn't expect you to be so romantic in your dreams." She said with a grin.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover." The brunette replied, leaning back in her seat. "I can be nice and sweet. Just... Rarely shows."

"And I can be very sexual. Just, rarely shows." The taller girl admitted with a smirk.

"I don't know if I should be terrified, turned on or creeped out." Beca chuckled awkwardly.

"Well… I'd hope the second option. But I can understand if it's the third." Chloe sighed.

"It's just... Not the place for that." The brunette mumbled. "Not yet anyways." She added quietly.

"I know Beca. I'm sorry. I was just joking." The redhead sighed, sadly.

"No it's just... I mean... Ugh." Beca struggled for the right words. "It's just... Really... I'm trying to figure out what it is. About you, I mean. About this what we have. It's... New and... Exciting and I don't know what to do with it because it's also so fucking scary... And then this current setting isn't even fit for these feelings and thoughts and I really hate this apocalypse you know? And god I just want to shut up but I can't and help me."

Chloe snickered. "I know this is new for you. But you have to calm down! You're too young to give yourself a heart attack!" She grinned at her friend but let out a sigh. "I know this setting isn't ideal...but...I would like to try." She admitted shyly.

"But there isn't like.. any dates to go to or a nice bed to rest in and nothing's stable and..." The brunette panted softly as she tried to catch her breath.

The redhead put her hand on the other girl’s arm. "Calm down. Of course it's different. It's dating in the apocalypse. We have to find our own way to do things." She smiled sweetly.

"I... It's just... I don't know." Beca replied softly. "I'm really scared to lose you over this."

"Well...relationships are hard as it is." Chloe said. "Have you ever been in a relationship with a girl before? Or even...kissed a girl before me?"

"No..." The smaller girl shook her head. "But it's not that different than a relationship with a boy... Right?”

"I mean I guess not? You share clothes a lot more. But that was before the apocalypse." The redhead snickered. "So I'm assuming you've never had sex with a girl either?" She asked, biting her lip.

"Well, no. Obviously not." The brunette pouted softly. "But. That's... Not on my mind right now. Like.. at all. If that's.. understandable."

"Of course." Chloe smiled kindly. "I understand." She leaned back in her seat. "Although I'm kind of sad about it, I respect you."

"Just.. yeah. Thanks." Beca replied. "So. Uhm. I guess we'll keep heading north?"

"I guess we will." The taller girl smiled. "You okay to drive?"

"Yeah." The brunette nodded. "I'll drive to the nearest city though. Just to... Eat something, empty my bladder, clean the car maybe, all that." She shrugged as she started the car. "And to make a new entry."

"Okay. Food for thought?" Chloe asked with a giggle.

"Food for thought? What do you mean by that?" The smaller girl raised her eyebrow.

"I meant that what we talked about has given you something to think and maybe write about." The redhead shrugged.

"Yeah. That's what I'm gonna do." Beca nodded. "You got it."

"I'm sorry if I upset you." The taller girl pouted. "I know I'm just this scary lesbian."

"No you didn't upset me." The brunette shook her head. "I'm just trying to sort my thoughts, alright? Make sense and all. I... I want this. I just need to... Think about it and ask myself if I'm ready. Although it wouldn't change a lot between us. Just... Allows me to kiss you more I guess."

"Okay. Just make sure you talk to me too, instead of that piece of paper. I need to know when I need to step off." Chloe said with a smile.

"No I would never talk to you." Beca rolled her eyes.

The redhead bumped her shoulder into the brunette. "You're mean."

"Sorry." The brunette smiled sheepishly. An exit was coming up so she steered the car towards it. "Soddy-Daisy." She read aloud. "Weird name." She huffed.

"Sounds like a nickname I could have had in high school." Chloe mumbled.

"Yeah." Beca laughed. "Alright, pit stop. Let's eat!"


	8. Love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! We are back! :D Life got in the way a little, but here's a new chapter. Things are gonna get a little juicy (;

Beca got out ravioli cans from her backpack before she snatched the little equipment she had, setting up a small cooking area. She started cooking the food, humming softly.

"I like you cooking for me." Chloe admitted as she sat down in the grass.

"Don't expect for it to become a habit." The brunette replied as she handed the redhead a serving.

The redhead grabbed a fork and took a bite, savoring the ravioli. "Hmmm." She said, smiling happily.

Beca hummed as she started eating herself. "We gotta loot this city. Maybe we can find shit."

Chloe bit her lip. "What if… we find kids again?" She asked, remembering the little baby in the last city.

"You... You have to stop thinking about this." The brunette replied. "Yeah, it sucked that it was a baby, but it happens. There are surely many zombified babies out there because they're the easiest targets. And it sucks, I know. But you gotta learn to let go.”

"I know that… it just… I can't, Beca." The taller girl admitted sadly. “Whenever I close my eyes, I see it.”

"I'll be by your side okay?" Beca reassured the redhead. "I'm not gonna leave you."

"Okay. Together." Chloe nodded.

"Alright." The smaller girl smiled as she put her now empty can away. "I'll just write something really quick and then we're good to go." She grabbed her journal and opened it, flipping through the pages.

The redhead continued eating, eyeing the brunette curiously. She would give anything to know what she was writing about.

Beca clicked her pen and started jotting down her thoughts.

_ Journal entry 78. Oh. Boy. I'm freaking out. Internally, externally, eternally. We drove up north I think, because I have heard of Chattanooga, the city we’re in right now, before. It's in Tennessee. So, that's good. Chloe and I spent the night in the car. I woke up somewhere in the middle of the night because I smacked my arm onto the gear shift and that hurt. Chloe wasn't anywhere, so I got out. Turns out she was sitting at the side of the road, looking at the stars. She confessed that she wanted to kill herself after she would have killed Aubrey. It... It hurt me. I mean, I don't think I have it in my power to stop her if she really wants it. I can try, sure, but in the end it's up to her. I shouldn't be so hurt and sad either because it's her decision, one she made before she met me. But... I think I like her more than I'd like to admit. Already. It's such a whirlwind romance and I'm scared it'll die down just as quick. But... I think Chloe is going to.. try her best to make me feel good. Sure, she has more experience than I do but she is trying to hold it back as best as she can. Which brings me to what happened earlier. We went into the car again eventually and made us a bed so we could cuddle. Zombies woke us up and the car is pretty dented now because we drove out of there recklessly, but after we were free we confessed what we dreamt about. Chloe's dream was... Rather sexual in the end and it freaked me out because I don't… It feels weird. To think that she thinks about those kind of things with me. But we kind of confessed our feelings to each other after that? I don't know, she... She said she wanted to try it. And that basically means we're dating now, right? Ugh, I don't know. She told me I should also talk to her instead of writing down everything, and I'll try to do that. Because without communication, this, whatever it is, can die down or lead to miscommunication pretty quick. And I don't want that. She's also eyeing me like a hawk right now. Such a creep. Anyways, we're gonna raid the next city and then we'll keep driving north. Maybe towards Toronto. Who knows? _

Beca closed her journal again and met Chloe's eyes who quickly averted her gaze. "I could see you looking, ya know?" The brunette smirked.

The redhead smiled shyly. "I just can't help but wonder what you're writing." She admitted.

"Are you gonna indirectly keep nagging me until you can read it?" Beca asked with a smile, raising an eyebrow.

"No! It's a secret!" Chloe said, rising her hands. "I respect that."

"Sure you do." The smaller girl shook her head. "I'm glad you haven't read it yet. Some things are really... Personal." She admitted.

"I'll never read it. " The redhead smiled. "I promise."

"Good. Well. Let's go raid some houses, alright?" Beca asked sweetly.

"Alright." Chloe nodded and they walked to the car, getting their equipment. They left their backpacks in the car, seeing that they’d return soon enough anyways. Plus, who’d steal a car? 

The taller girl let out a sigh as she clutched her shotgun to her chest.

"Not the machete this time?" The brunette asked as she motioned towards the gun.

"Oh, I have that here." The redhead motioned to her belt. "But that's only for close combat. If we run into a person, I ain't gonna fight them with a machete."

Beca's breath hitched as the images of the two people she killed flashed her mind. "Yeah." Her eyes looked onto the ground. "Let's go." They made their way to the first house. "Do your thing."

Chloe smiled and listened intently after she threw the brick. No sound could be heard and she straightened up, grabbing the brick. "No one seems to be here." She concluded with a soft smile.

"Okay. Let's go." The smaller girl replied and together they raided the house. "Okay, we're definitely not gonna run out ammo wise." The brunette whistled after a while as she had stumbled over a huge chest filled to the brim with weapons and ammo.

The redhead snickered. "I guess people really were prepared for the apocalypse, huh?"

"But that's also suspicious." Beca tightened her grip on her rifle. "It's generally really weird. The barely touched gas station. The chest here. If this was a video game I would've said that they were preparing us for a huge fight." She looked around, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Suddenly, they heard a car engine start up. "Uh. Chloe..." Her eyes widened.

"Hmm?" The girl in question looked up from the cabinet she was searching through.

"I..." The brunette whispered as the car sped off. "I think our car just got stolen."

"What?" Chloe's eyes widened. "No!" They both ran outside frantically, only to find the space where they had parked the car empty. "Fuck!"

"Someone set us up. We walked into their trap at the gas station, they followed us and waited for us to surely leave the car. God fucking damnit. I should've seen the signs!" Beca cursed as she kicked the pavement, wincing at the pain that shot through her toes. "They have everything! Our stuff! The Snickers. The Snickers Chloe! Why didn't I take my backpack with me?! Fuck." She dropped onto the ground frustratedly.

The redhead sat down next to the other girl, her eyes closed. "Fuck..." She whispered. "Beca… your diary."

"I don't give a flying fuck about that right now. My med kit! Our food! The drinks! God, I was so stupid!" The brunette was close to crying now but quickly shook her head. "I'm gonna find those fuckers." She stood up confidently before she froze. "If I knew where to look."

Chloe wrapped her arms around her knees. "There's no way we're gonna find them." She whispered. "But we've got each other. We've got weapons. We'll be okay, right?"

"No." Beca shook her head angrily. "I feel attacked. But we have one advantage." She smirked. "The fuel is basically empty so they can't get far. Let's just hope they won't discover the canisters in time." She grabbed the redhead and pulled her up to her feet. "Let's make our way to the highway. I'm giving the car maybe 7 miles. Tops. We can do that, right? Find them."

Chloe looked at the smaller girl a little worriedly. "I… I guess so. " She said softly. She didn't want to say anything to upset the brunette, remembering how angry she could get.

"I'm getting our fucking car back." Beca mumbled as she started speed walking towards the direction of the highway. "They can't be far." She muttered.

The redhead followed the brunette anxiously, looking around while clutching her gun. "What if they are like with...a lot more people, Beca?" She asked worriedly.

"I will fight them." Beca replied stubbornly, marching a little faster than the redhead. "Hurry up slowpoke!"

“Beca! Stop. This is a death march." Chloe exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. "I'm not going to just let you walk there to just be shot. We have to be smart about this."

The brunette groaned but she knew the other girl was right. So she turned around, huffing. "Alright Miss Smartypants, what's your suggestion?" She asked as she crossed her arms.

The redhead smiled. "Well first you have to calm down so you can think normal again." She opened her arms. "Hug."

"Why the fuck would I want a hug?! This doesn't help the slightest!" Beca snapped. "We need to come up with a fucking plan. Not stand around hugging!"

Chloe's smile faltered and she dropped her arms. "Okay..." She bit her lip sadly. "I guess we can sneak up to them through the woods. They'll see us coming from miles away if we walk on the road."

"Okay. See, plans are better than hugging. Let's go." The brunette replied as she made her way to the forest next to the road.

The redhead huffed and followed the other girl, staying behind her a little bit.

 

They marched in silence, Beca angrily stomping in front of Chloe, but still went out of her way to keep the branches away so they wouldn't snap into the redhead's face. Just as the taller girl wanted to say something, the brunette stopped abruptly. "They're filling up the tank." She whispered as she motioned to the road. There was their car, three people huddled around it. "Fuckers." Beca readied her gun.

Chloe felt her heart beat in her throat as she grabbed her gun as well. "What… what are we going to do?" She whispered.

"You need to hold me back because otherwise I will shoot every single one of them." The smaller girl replied through gritted teeth. "But I think we should confront them. Offer deals."

"So… just walk up? We have nothing to offer." The redhead whispered back in confusion.

"Let me do the talking." Beca glared. "Hey, fuckers!" She called out, making the three people stop dead in their tracks. They turned around and scanned the forest. The brunette stepped out, her gun raised. "I'm not gonna shoot. Just wanted to have a little chat about things." She said sweetly.

"Why should we want to talk?" A man in his mid thirties glared. 

"Because you stole something that wasn't yours." Beca shrugged.

Chloe followed the brunette, her eyes trained on the other people. She let Beca talk but was ready to shoot when needed.

"You did too. So we stole something back." A middle aged woman shrugged. 

"Well sorry, your gas station just invited us to take things! You obviously set us up!" The small girl glared.

"Yeah so? This is the apocalypse. You gotta survive, so you have to do what's necessary." The man in his thirties shrugged. 

"No, you're hoarding shit up so you can have everything to yourself!" The brunette shouted. 

"Woah, calm down lady!" A small blonde boy, the third from the three, spoke up. Beca just glared at him.

"We're not giving you your shit back. Your guns aren't scaring us." The man smirked. 

"I have killed people with my bare hands. You still sure you want to be easy about this?" The brunette retorted. 

"Yeah." The woman shrugged. "Your small figure doesn't scare us. And your friend looks like she's gonna crap herself anyways."

Chloe put her hand on Beca's shoulder as she saw the other girl getting angrier than necessary. "Can't we just… make a deal or something?" The redhead spoke up.

"Hah! What could you offer that we don't already have?" The man asked. 

"There... There's a safe house. Near La Fayette in Alabama." Beca replied. "It's where we escape to. You get that house with a working generator, and we get the car with everything in it back." 

The woman and the man raised their eyebrows before looking at each other. "That sounds... Nice." 

The small boy glared at Beca and Chloe. "Why would you give that up for the car? What's in there that's more precious than a safe house with a working generator?" He pressed. 

"Just a lot of personal shit okay?" The brunette replied, clearly not happy with the small boy. 

"Kenneth, shut up. The lady offered us a nice place to stay." The woman turned back around to the pair. "Is it fully stacked?" She asked. 

"To the brim." Beca confirmed with a nod. "Lasts probably a year." 

The man whistled approvingly. "Guess we have a deal then! You tell us the coordinates and we'll give you the car in return." He set his backpack down and grabbed a map and the brunette let out a small sigh of relief.

Chloe looked at the people in surprise. She couldn't believe they fell for Beca's trap. She averted her gaze and bit her lip.

"Dad I really don't think..." Kenneth started.

"Shut the fuck up Kenneth!" The man glared at his son. 

The blonde boy huffed as he opened the backdoor, grabbing Beca's backpack. "What's in there that you want back so badly huh?!" He challenged the brunette. 

"There's nothing wrong with trying to get your own shit back man." Beca replied, trying to remain calm. Kenneth opened the zipper and grabbed the brunette's journal, electing a soft yelp from the girl. 

He smirked. "Oh, what do we have here?" 

"Kenneth. Put that thing back or you're not coming with us!" The woman retorted. 

"Yeah, listen to your mum!" Beca glared as she walked next to the man to show him where they had to go. 

Kenneth didn't listen as he opened the book. "Journal entry 41." He read aloud. "Oh, so you're keeping track of the things that are happening huh?" He grinned and the brunette jumped onto the car before tackling him.

"That is none of your fucking business." She spat as she ripped her journal out of his hands. 

"Hey, get off my boy!" The woman shouted as she shoved the smaller girl. 

"Sorry. Teach your kids some manners." Beca dusted herself off before walking back to Chloe. "Oh, you’re a good person because you murdered a whole family?!" Kenneth called after her. 

The brunette froze as she could feel all eyes on her.

Chloe stared at Beca, biting her lip. She had no idea what the boy was talking about, but she hoped he was making it up. "Just...give us the keys and lets us go." She said, standing in front of the other girl protectively.

"Family murder! What did you read, Kenneth?" The woman asked, her eyes turning scared. 

"He didn't read enough." The brunette simply replied, turning around slowly. "I didn't actually murder the family. It was a nightmare I had, alright? Big deal." She clenched her jaw. 

"Whatever. We're out of here." The man waved. He gave a small nod and before Beca and Chloe knew what was happening, they slipped into the car. 

"Oh hell NO!" The brunette exclaimed, ripping the car door open and pulling out the woman. She pressed the gun against her temple. "You step out of the vehicle right now or I will not hesitate." She growled sternly. 

"Jerry, please..." The woman begged. Jerry and Kenneth slowly got out of the car again. 

"Good." Beca nodded as she let go of the woman who stumbled around the car to hug her husband. "Chloe, get in the car." The brunette glared as she didn't take her eyes off the family.

Chloe did what Beca said and slipped into the driver's seat. She started the car and waited for the other girl to get in.

Beca saluted them before she hopped into the car. "Drive."

The redhead nodded and pressed the gas, speeding off. The family stared at them and she could see them through the rearview mirror.

"Drive to wherever the fuck this road takes us. I don't want to be in Tennessee anymore." The brunette huffed. "Or drive a different route, they sure as heck followed us with their own car and will follow us again."

"Okay." Chloe replied, looking at the road in front of her. At a certain point, there was an exit and she took it. They didn't talk and sat in silence.

Beca stared out of the window with a clenched jaw. She gripped the journal tightly like her life was depending on it. Her eyes scanned the treeline and danced around wildly as they tried to keep up with the moving objects.

 

Chloe cleared her throat. "Are… are you okay?" She asked softly when she couldn't handle the silence anymore.

Beca dropped her eyes onto the journal. "I... No."

"Do you… do you wanna talk about it?" The redhead asked softly.

"Could you stop the car?" The brunette asked weakly.

"Are you sure? They might be following us..." Chloe whispered softly.

"Please." Beca's eyes were watering and looked at the other girl with desperation.

The redhead immediately slowed down the car until she stopped on the side of the road. She looked at her friend worriedly.

"It wasn't a nightmare." The brunette spoke softly.

Chloe nodded and unbuckled her seatbelt so she could reach the smaller girl. She grabbed her hand. "Tell me." She whispered.

"I got sick. I don't know what I had but I surely had a really high fever. My legs gave out at one point and I was sweating furiously. A family found me and they immediately took me in and tended to my illness." Beca started. "They were great. I thought it was too good to be true. The kids would read me stories and play with me to keep me entertained. The parents always went out to raid houses so they could provide for everyone, including me. It was... I felt like I had a family again." A tear rolled down the brunette’s cheek. "Then, one day, I went downstairs in the middle of the night to grab myself a drink. I passed the living room where Joe and Sarah were, the parents. They were talking about me. Saying that adding me was a mistake because they had to find more food and it was getting harder because they had to look in areas that were far away. I understood that I was a nuisance and I wouldn't have minded leaving them, but I was still recovering. I would've needed at least a couple of days more. Then they... They started making plans. Poisoning my food, just plain out shooting me, and other things. I knew I needed to leave. So I turned around but accidentally knocked over a vase. They noticed me and their eyes went wide. Everything happened so fast, Chloe." Beca took a deep breath before she continued. "I.. They were quick to grab their guns and started shooting. I could duck away and ran upstairs to grab my gun. I wasn't about to die. So I reached my room, grabbed my gun just in time as my door opened. I quickly whirled around and shot. But I didn't shoot Joe or Sarah. I shot Maria. The younger of the two kids. When she hit the floor I heard Sarah cry out. You don't fucking know how heart wrenching it sounds when a mother cries over her dead child. Joe began shooting me again so I ducked behind the bed." The brunette wiped the tears that were falling. "I eventually killed Sarah and Joe, too. Joseph, Maria's brother was deaf, so he didn't hear anything that was going on. I sat in my room for a long while, trying to figure out what I could do. I had three options. Take him with me, leave him on his own or..." She trailed off. "I still feel horrible to this day. I grabbed my stuff, took the poison that was intended for me, put it into his milk which he would use for his cereal, left a note saying that I went out with the others, closed the door to my room and left. I don't know if he ended up poisoning himself or if he discovered the bodies beforehand, but I was out of there. Didn't look back, I just kept walking." Beca was full on crying now. "I'm a fucking monster Chloe. I killed a family who cared for me when I needed it. I took it for granted. I..." She sniffed as she wiped her eyes.

Chloe looked at the brunette, wide eyed. She felt sick. She thought for a long time and was very careful about her next words. "This… this apocalypse has made us do things… unspeakable things. I understand. I'm sorry." She whispered. "You can't… dwell on these things Beca. It happened. It was horrible. But you're still here. That's all that matters."

"I don't want to be doing those things Chloe!" Beca retorted. "The intruder, the man in the house, the family, the zombified Jesse... I... I'm scared. This apocalypse is doing weird things to me. It’s just… Whenever a situation like the car situation earlier comes up, something inside me takes over. It’s ruining me."

"It's not." The redhead simply said. She wrapped her arms around the brunette, squeezing her. "You are not a bad person. You're just… trying to survive in this god awful world."

"How are you doing this?" The brunette whispered softly. "You're slowly discovering all the horrible things I did and all you do is wrap me up in a hug and tell me it's gonna be okay. And I am believing you."

"Because it's the truth." Chloe whispered. "We all do horrible things. It's how we survive in this world. But what matters is how we feel about them. Did you enjoy killing these people? Did you kill them even though you could spare them? No you didn't. You did it because you had no other choice."

Beca sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "I'm scared I'm gonna kill you too." She said quietly, barely above a whisper.

The taller girl felt her breath hitch. She looked at the brunette, her eyes showing that she was scared even when she didn't want them to. "I'm… I hope you would if there's no other choice. If I get bit, you have to shoot me, okay?" She said softly.

"I don't want to do it. Even if you got bit. I couldn't shoot Jesse, what makes you think I could shoot you?" Beca asked, pushing a strand of Chloe's hair behind her ear.

The redhead sighed and closed her eyes. "Because I don't want to become one of them. You have to promise me, Beca. Please."

The brunette looked into Chloe's eyes, searching for any kind of uncertainty. There was nothing to be found. So, she nodded, without breaking eye contact. "I promise." She replied firmly. "If you promise the same for me."

"Of course." Chloe replied, not breaking eye contact as well. "I promise."

Beca nodded slowly. Her eyes dropped to the taller girl’s lips but she forced herself to look back into the other girl's eyes. "Okay."

"Are you feeling better?" The redhead asked softly.

"Immensely. Thank you. For hearing me out and not turning your back on me... Again." The brunette replied. "I want to... To properly thank you but I don't know how."

Chloe shrugged. "You don't have to." She smiled at the other girl shyly.

Beca shook her head. "I'm sure a handful to handle. And you agreed to fucking date this handful so..." She blushed. "I... I mean, that's what I assumed based on the conversation we had."

"I guess so. Dating. Huh." The redhead smiled. "Cool."

The brunette’s face flushed. "Y... Yeah." She whispered. "Dating."

"I'm your first girlfriend." Chloe grinned, pushing the smaller girl playfully.

"Shut up." Beca whispered. She couldn't stop the smile forming on her face however as she looked at the girl in front of her.

"That's a moment." The redhead teased.

"Moment for what?" The brunette asked confusedly.

"Just...a big moment. Right?" Chloe snickered.

"Hmmm.. I guess." The smaller girl hummed. Her eyes dropped back to the redhead's lips.  _ No, this isn't the time _ , she told herself as she looked back up.  _ But you've done this before _ , another voice kept nagging. _ Before was different. Now it's like really serious. _ the first voice replied and Beca didn't know what to do.

"What are you thinking about?" Chloe asked, a small smile playing at her lips.

"N-nothing." Beca replied, her voice a little higher than usual.

The redhead sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know you can kiss me if you want."

The brunette's flushed at the other girl’s directness. "But.." She started weakly.

"Are you really gonna make me do this?" Chloe whispered as she pulled Beca close.

"Maybe." The brunette replied. Her nerves were skyrocketing all of sudden and she looked into ocean blue eyes, her breath hitching. All the confidence she had radiated before vanished.

The taller girl chuckled and put her hand underneath Beca's chin, pulling her forward.  She saw the brunette close her eyes and she smiled before softly pressing her lips on the other girl's.

Beca's stomach started feeling weird and she realized it was butterflies flapping around wildly. She felt really giddy and kissed the redhead back, her hands cupping the other girl's cheeks. This kiss didn't feel like the previous ones they had. It felt... better. Chloe deepened the kiss carefully, not wanting to scare the brunette off.

Before Beca knew it, she was crying. She sniffled softly as she pulled away. "Sorry. It's just so gentle and loving. I'm overwhelmed." She whispered as she wiped her eyes. "I don't know why I'm being like this. God, I'm a mess."

The redhead looked at the brunette with a soft smile. "Aw. " She cupped her cheeks. "It's okay."

"Alright." The smaller girl took a deep breath. "Enough weeping." She said, determined, and nodded to convince herself. "You're pretty annoying, but yet really awesome, did you know that?" She asked, cracking a small smile.

"That's a big compliment." Chloe snickered, pushing the Beca's arm playfully.

"Sorry." Beca smiled. "Just needed to stop the crying."

"Do you cry with every girl you kiss?" The redhead teased.

"You were the first, you know that." The brunette rolled her eyes.

"I know. I'm just teasing. Did you cry when you kissed boys?" Chloe asked, playing with the other girl’s hair.

"No. I'm just really emotional right now, okay?" Beca protested. "Let me live."

Chloe chuckled. "Okay. I'm sorry." She pouted.

The brunette had to smile. She couldn't believe she had encountered the redhead only a few days ago. It seemed like a lot longer. She bit her lip before she climbed onto the the other girl’s lap, accidentally pressing the car honk, but she didn't care. She cupped Chloe's cheeks and pressed her lips onto the other girl's, kissing her a little roughly.

Chloe's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she yelped into the brunette's mouth. She liked this rough side of Beca. A blush crept up her cheeks.

The brunette was caught in a rush of hormones that suddenly washed over her, and she felt a boost of confidence as she felt the redhead kiss back. She deepened the kiss, occasionally biting the other girl's bottom lip lightly before running her tongue over it soothingly.

The redhead's breath hitched in her throat at Beca's actions. She felt arousal pool in her abdomen, something she hadn't felt in a really long time. It felt weird. Out of place. But also kind of good?

"I'm not gonna go far okay?" Beca whispered before she kissed the redhead again, pressing her against the driver's seat. She deepened it rather quickly, running her tongue along the other girl's bottom lip, begging for entrance.

Chloe nodded and allowed Beca that entrance. She placed her hands in the brunette's hips.

The smaller girl smirked as she pushed her tongue in gently, running it along the redhead's. She felt arousal slowly rising but she pushed it down, knowing that this wasn't the place to do this. Instead, she wrapped her arms around the other girl, pulling her closer.

Chloe enjoyed being close to someone like this again, for the first time since the apocalypse started. She hummed into the brunette's mouth happily.

"You're such a good fucking kisser, did you know that?" Beca breathed out as she pulled away for a second to catch her breath. Their noses were still touching, and the brunette's pupils were dilated.

"Hmm… I didn't. Thanks." Chloe replied, a little dazed.

The brunette smiled softly before she reconnected her lips with the redhead's. She settled for a slower kiss now, trying to cool herself down a little.

Chloe felt Beca holding back and it saddened her. But she respected the brunette's boundaries and just let her do whatever she wanted.

Beca's brain went into autopilot as she pulled away, kissing along the redhead's jaw and neck, softly nibbling here and there. She didn't mind the slight salty taste on the other girl's skin as much as she thought she would, so she continued.

Chloe's eyes widened. She squirmed underneath the brunette's lips. "B-Becs.." She whispered.

The redhead's plea caught Beca's attention, making her pull away. "Shit, sorry." She breathed out.

"You can't just… tell me you won't go too far and then… make me so hot and flustered." Chloe whispered, not looking at the brunette. "That's unfair."

"I'm sorry. I did that automatically." Beca blushed furiously. "We can stop now..." She trailed off.

"Please don't." The redhead whimpered with desperation.

Beca bit her lip. Seeing Chloe this flustered was really hot. So, she let down the seat so the redhead was lying down before she reconnected their lips.

The taller girl buckled her hips a little and turned her head so the other girl could reach her better.

The brunette whimpered a little at the feeling of the Chloe’s hips against hers. She bit down on the redhead’s pulse point, gently sucking on it. The response was a soft moan from the girl above her. Beca's ear perked up at the sound. It sounded so hot it sent more fuel to her arousal that was slowly forming in her abdomen. "Chloe I really think we should stop." She breathed out, even though it killed her. "I don't think I can stop myself once I hear another noise of pleasure coming from you."

"I know..." Chloe whispered. Everything inside of her wanted to continue. But she knew Beca was right.

The brunette pressed a soft kiss onto the redhead's lips before she sat up, running a hand through her hair. Her face was a little flushed and her lips a little swollen from the kissing, but she didn't care about that right now.

"I can't drive if you're sitting on top of me." Chloe whispered breathlessly. Her cheeks were flushed.

"Give me a minute to regain my thoughts." Beca chuckled before she climbed back into the passenger's seat, her foot accidentally pressing the honk again. "Goddamnit." She laughed.

The redhead giggled and put her seat back up. She let out a sigh. "Well… I hope I can concentrate on the road again." She mumbled.

"Well if I'm too much of a distraction I'll just walk along next to the car." The brunette suggested with a shrug as she put her feet up to the dashboard.

Chloe laughed. "Alright, you're fine." She started the car and started driving again. When she shifted gears, she smiled. "I'm glad you're trusting me to drive. Thanks for that. Aubrey never did."

"Did she have a reason?" Beca suddenly turned a little scared, glancing at her girlfriend. It felt weird to call Chloe her girlfriend. But also so good. Weird, but good.

"No! I'm a good driver! She just...she had some control issues." The taller girl chuckled.

"The kinky kind or the yikes kind?" The brunette asked, raising her eyebrow with a smirk.

"Uhm… I don't know what you mean by those. But it was a little scary sometimes." Chloe said.

"So the yikes kind. I have a feeling Aubrey and I wouldn't have gotten along well." The smaller girl pondered. "Probably would've challenged her and gotten on her nerves."

"We were a good team. But that was mostly because I knew when to back off." The redhead shrugged.

"Hm." Beca hummed as she looked in front of them, letting the silence take over.


	9. Toronto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are our gays up to? Well, find out...

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s company. The landscape was rushing past them, and a nice breeze was entering through the sunroof. "Your most favorite memory. Go." Beca spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Hmmm… I think when I saw the Lion King musical with my entire family. It was so beautiful." Chloe answered, smiling sadly at the memory.

"Hmmmm. Sounds cool." The brunette smiled, her left fingers interlacing with Chloe’s right ones. "Mine was when my dad got me my mixing equipment. Best moment of my life. But.. I'm sad that I can't use it anymore."

The redhead looked at her girlfriend. "Mixing, like a DJ?" She asked, smiling.

"Well, not really. I did DJ at proms. And other gigs. But mostly I used it to create mashups and sometimes original works." Beca explained.

"That's so cool! I wish I could hear it!" Chloe replied, excitedly.

"Uhm." The smaller girl reached in the back into her backpack to retrieve her phone. "I could show you one if you'd like." She turned on her phone, her breath hitching when a selfie of her and Jesse popped up on the lock screen.

The redhead looked at Beca's phone. "Who's that? Jesse?" She asked sweetly.

"Yeah." The brunette whispered softly. She unlocked her phone and opened iTunes, opening her mixes folder titled “B. Mitch”.

"He was very handsome." Chloe replied softly. She squeezed the other girl’s knee supportively.

Beca nodded softly as she scrolled through the tracks until she found what she was looking for. She pressed play, letting the music engulf the car.

_ Oh, oh _

_ One foot in front of the other babe _

_ One breath leads to another yeah _

_ Just keep moving, oh _

_ Look within for the strength today _

_ Listen out for the voice to say _

_ Just keep moving, oh _

_ Go, go, go _

_ Figure it out, figure it out, but don't stop moving _

_ Go, go, go _

_ Figure it out, figure it out, you can do this _

_ So my love, keep on running _

_ You gotta get through today _

_ There my love, keep on running _

_ Gotta keep those tears at bay _

_ Oh, my love, don't stop burning _

_ Gonna send them up in flames _

_ In flames _

The redhead’s breath hitched as she listened to the song. The lyrics resonated with her and she felt a lump in her throat. She looked at the brunette who closed her eyes as she listened to the music. The smaller girl had missed getting lost in it, even if it was her own music. Soon, she was singing along, moving her head to the beat. Beca doing that resulted in Chloe staring at her with her mouth slightly open. She stopped the car in order to not crash them.

The next song started playing and the brunette immediately changed from the groove to a hood gangster.

_ It's going down, fade to blackstreet _

_ The homies got rb, collab' creations _

_ Bump like acne, no doubt _

_ I put it down, never slouch _

_ As long as my credit can vouch _

_ A dog couldn't catch me ass out _

_ Tell me who can stop when dre makin' moves _

_ Attracting honeys like a magnet _

_ Giving 'em eargasms with my mellow accent _

_ Still moving this flavor _

_ With the homies blackstreet and teddy _

_ The original rump shakers _

She looked at the other girl and noticed that the redhead knew the song, so she motioned her to sing along with her. Chloe snickered softly and did as told.

_ Shorty get down, good lord _

_ Baby got 'em up open all over town _

_ Strictly biz, she don't play around _

_ Cover much ground, got game by the pound _

_ Getting paid is her forte _

_ Each and every day, true player way _

_ I can't get her out of my mind _

_ I think about the girl all the time _

_ I like the way you work it _

_ No diggity, I got to bag it up, bag it up _

_ I like the way you work it _

_ No diggity, I got to bag it up, bag it up _

_ I like the way you work it _

_ No diggity, I got to bag it up, bag it up _

_ I like the way you work it _

_ No diggity, I got to bag it up, bag it up _

_ We out! _

Beca paused the music and looked at the redhead. "You know rap music. I wouldn't have guessed." She smiled.

"I mean… I've got more things up my sleeve than you'd think." Chloe smirked, throwing her a wink.

"You're one of a kind." The brunette rolled her eyes as she shut off her phone again. "I'd say we start making our way to Toronto?"

"Okay!" The redhead smiled. She hit the gas again, speeding off.

 

The girls sped their way through America, arriving in Toronto two days later. "Woah." Beca let out a whistle as they passed a lot of zombies. "Hopefully they're not gonna eat us."

Chloe snickered. "Well, that would suck. Coming all the way out here to just get eaten."

"Here, have some tasty Americans! We look free but taste rotten!" The brunette laughed.

The redhead giggled. "So...we're here now. Where do we go?"

"The LGBT district duh. So if we die, we're gonna be eaten out by the right kind of zombies." Beca rolled her eyes with a wink. "No, but in all seriousness, I just want to cruise around for a little bit. Check out the city, hop out to raid a few houses, the usual. Maybe we can find something to settle in?"

Chloe nodded. "You want me to drive or?" She clutched the wheel a little tiredly.

The smaller girl shook her head. "You've been driving for the past few hours. Let me get behind the wheel."

The redhead nodded and they switched places. She leaned back in her seat with a thankful sigh. "Ah..."

"Don't act like I just freed you from some kinda work drill prison that exhausted you to death!" Beca gasped offendedly.

"It's tough driving so much!" Chloe admitted shyly.

"Yeah, I know. But you little shit wouldn't let me drive when I offered." The brunette glared playfully.

"Well… okay. I guess you're right." The taller girl yawned softly.

"Go to sleep. I'll protect you." Beca smiled.

"Okay. Are you sure?" Chloe replied, leaning her head against the widow tiredly.

"Yes. Sleep." The smaller girl rolled her eyes as she drove around a zombie. "Out of the way loser!"

The redhead snickered and closed her eyes. "Night."

"Night." Beca smiled as she continued driving. 

After a while, when she was sure the other girl was sleeping, she stopped the car, got out her journal and the map they had found in one of the houses and opened both, trying to make as little noise as possible.

_ It's journal entry day 80. So that makes it.... May 21. God, math is fucking hard when you don’t do it as much anymore. Chloe's birthday is in 2 1/2 weeks. If I want to make her happy, I should go to Disneyland with her. Even if it’s probably swarmed with zombies and nothing works, the thought counts, right? Disneyland resides in Orlando. From Toronto to Orlando it'd be... Fuck, I'm not good at reading maps either. I think it'd be 1300 miles? Yeah, something about that. That'd mean, at an average speed of 80 miles per hours, it would take 16.25 hours. So, around 16 and a half. It could be split up into two, maybe 3 days. Makes it less suspicious. Let's go with 3. So I need to find a reason that convinces Chloe to drive back in the general direction of Florida. Maybe I miss the beach? No, too simple. Maybe I could pretend that my relatives lived there and they had a secret stash which I just recalled them having, and it has pretty neat shit. Hm. Not entirely convincing, but it should do. I really hope she's gonna like the present. I mean, it's not the best, but... It's the best I can offer. For now, we're gonna reside in Toronto or something and loot some houses. And maybe we’ll have something to come home to. Like the safe house Chloe had. That… would be nice. _

The brunette closed her journal before stashing it back into her backpack, along with the map. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. They would need to pump gas again soon.

Chloe dreamed about building a treehouse together with Beca, where they would be safe from all the zombies. She smiled in her sleep, getting more comfortable.

Beca got bored after a while and left the car with her rifle, screwing the silencer on. She started to take out zombies, practicing her shooting skills. She grabbed a stone from the ground and threw it at a zombie to mess with it. The zombie whirled around and started sprinting at her. The brunette’s eyes went wide. "You aren't supposed to run!" She quickly took him down, the shock washing over her. She quickly grabbed another stone and threw it, resulting in another zombie running at her. She squinted her eyes suspiciously and kept throwing stones, each one setting the zombies off in a dash towards her. One zombie she kept missing with her rifle and she backed off wide eyed as it kept running towards her mercilessly. She didn't realize she was nearing the river that was flowing through Toronto and before she knew it, she lost footing and, with a soft yelp, she fell into the water. Cold water engulfed her and she let out a shaky breath as the zombie came down next to her. She quickly shot it, thankful that the rifle was still working, before she regained her composure, looking around. She didn't know where she could get back up, so she decided to swim along the edge, trying to find a ladder where she could climb up, hoping that she wouldn't be taken by the stream or whirls that could easily suck her underwater.

 

Chloe woke up not much later, yawning and stretching. She opened her eyes, which widened when she saw the empty drivers seat beside her. She felt her breath hitch and panic pool in her stomach as she slipped out of the car, grabbing her gun and machete. She nearly fell onto the floor, stumbling over a heap of lifeless zombies at her feet. "Shit." She swore, trying to regain her balance. She looked around, hoping to see her brunette girlfriend standing around somewhere, but her panic increased when she didn't see the small girl anywhere. She noticed a few zombies running at her at a high speed, which surprised her. She'd never seen zombies run before. Skillfully, she got out her machete and beheaded the zombies, pushing them away with her foot. She groaned as her shoulder protested and shook it carefully, massaging it. She walked around the car and yelled out. "Beca!"

The girl in question was still paddling around in the water, letting out a relieved breath when she saw a ladder. She quickly climbed it, her wet clothes losing the unnecessary water. She cringed as she took off her shirt, wringing it out. She put it back on as she shivered a little, readying her gun. She didn't know where she was, but she calmly walked back into the direction she swam from, not straying far from the water. She took out zombies that were coming her way. She shuddered at how weird it felt to walk with wet socks and shoes, how she stuck to the bottom, and what weird noises it made and how everything clutched at her body like it was a lifeline.

The redhead’s breath hitched with panic when she didn't see her girlfriend anywhere. "Beca!" She yelled out, her voice breaking. More zombies came are her and she took them out, kicking them to the side after cutting their heads off.

Beca's head perked up as she could hear someone yelling her name in the distance. She quickly started sprinting, the wind making her feel colder than she already was. "Chloe!" She replied, almost tripping over her own feet.

The redhead was softly crying now. "B-Beca!" She said, her voice breaking. She couldn't believe she had lost her girlfriend. Again.

The brunette felt relief washing over her as she started recognizing the street. She took a few big steps and saw their car, Chloe standing next to it weakly. She quickly made her way over. "Sup hoe?" She shouted with a smirk.

When the redhead saw Beca step out as if she appeared out of thin air, she yelped and ran towards the smaller girl, wrapping her arms around her neck. She cried into her shoulder, hugging her tighter.

Beca froze as she felt the redhead's body against hers. "I don't mind this hug, and I missed you as much as you did, but I'm making you wet." She stated awkwardly as she patted Chloe's back.

"I thought you were gone. I thought you… you were dead." The taller girl sniffled into the brunette's shoulder.

Beca tried to push the other girl away, but to no avail. "God, you're not gonna get rid of me that easily. Stop crying. I just got bored, tried to shoot some zombies, found out they can run, fell into the water because I couldn't shoot one and had to get out again." She sighed. "And I can feel how you're getting wetter with every second."

"I don't give a shit!" Chloe whimpered. She didn't plan on ever letting go of the brunette, signaling it by wrapping her arms even tighter around the other girl.

The brunette sighed as she finally caved, wrapping her arms tightly around the redhead, kissing the top of her head. "Sorry."

"Never just leave again. Okay?" Chloe pulled away and looked at her girlfriend, teary eyed.

"Okay mum." Beca rolled her eyes. "I promise."

The other girl nodded. She felt a little embarrassed for how freaked out she acted and bit her lip.

The brunette had to giggle. "Your clothes look ridiculous." She motioned at the random dark spots on the redhead's front.

"Well… we have to find new clothes soon, I guess." The taller girl smiled. "Was the river water nice?"

"No." Beca deadpanned. "Come on, let's raid some houses." She put her hands on her hips as she glanced up a skyscraper. "That seems like a good candidate and a disaster waiting to happen."

Chloe snickered. "Well...you decide what we're gonna do."

"Death by jumping out of a window from the 30th floor because the zombies are swarming us sounds appealing, doesn't it?" The small girl giggled. "Nah, we're gonna go to the house next to it. Not as huge and it looks like people actually lived there. Cause the skyscraper looks so… business-sy."

"Good idea." The redhead smiled. She grabbed her girlfriend’s hand. "Let's go then."

 

They walked onto the house and entered the first apartment, already confused as to why the door was wide open and damaged. "Well, looks like someone has been here already." Beca stated as she looked around the completely trashed living room. "Let's hope they got some nice clothes and shoes. Because, it ain't fun walking around in this." She motioned at her wet clothes which were still occasionally clad against her body.

"You… you look in the other rooms. I'll look here. Kay?" Chloe said, kissing her girlfriend’s cheek softly.

"Okay." The brunette smiled shyly as she made her way through the living room towards the back. She entered the bedroom and immediately went through the closet after making sure no zombie was there. She sighed as the clothes were all too big for her. "Son of a bitch." She left the room and stepped over a piece of wooden furniture that had been thrown around before a certain stench made its way into her nose. She immediately gagged, looking into the bathroom. "Fuck me." She retched as she saw a half rotten body lying in the bathtub with a dozen mice crawling over it. "Why?" She cried out as she turned her head away, quickly stepping away. She closed the door and shook her head. "Not a single thing can get me in there." She shuddered as she stepped into the next bedroom. She opened the closet and let out a sigh of relief as she saw that the clothes fit her. She quickly stripped and used the blanket to dry herself off before she slipped into the new clothes, being especially quick on replacing the socks. "Oh my god, feels much better." She smiled softly as she hugged herself. She grabbed a few more clothes as a spare before her eyes fell onto a dark red pair of Vans. "Please be my shoe size." She begged as she checked. "Yes!" She quickly put them on before she made a little victory dance. 

After searching everything without finding anything, she came back into the living room.

The redhead had looked around the trashed living room, spotting a big puddle of blood on the carpet, which made her breath hitch. She looked around the kitchen, but it was completely picked clean. She looked around again and yelped when she saw a zombie approaching her, having climbed through a hole in the wall. She grabbed her machete and kicked him against the wall, ramming the sharp blade into its skull. Blood splattered all over her face and clothes and she gagged. "Ew."

Beca's eyes fell onto her girlfriend as she had followed the noise into the kitchen. "God, you look so gross." She commented. "Here, some clothes. They're my size but I don't know if they fit you."

Chloe huffed. "This guy surprised me. I'm sorry." She snickered. She took the clothes the other girl handed her and she looked at the dark band t-shirt. "This might be a little tight." She bit her lip. She slipped out of her bloody tank top and pulled the band shirt over her head.

"Nah you're... You're fine." The brunette breathed out as the shirt hugged the redhead's curves. Why was she acting like that? She had seen Chloe naked before. This wasn't any different. Plus, the other girl was still fully clothed. She shook her head.

Chloe smiled. "Feeling better out of those wet clothes?" She winked at her girlfriend.

"Yeah. Definitely. Also, check out my shoes!" Beca held her foot up proudly. "I've always wanted to own a pair of those."

The redhead snickered. "You're the only person that would care about Vans in the apocalypse." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry." The brunette laughed. "Jesse told me he would've gotten them for our four year anniversary. So I was a little bit disappointed when the apocalypse started. But... Now I got ‘em. And it makes me happy." She smiled.

"I'm glad you're happy." The taller girl bumped her shoulder into the brunette.

"Thanks." Beca grinned. "Let's raid some more apartments." 

 

They left the apartment and went into the next one, which looked as trashed as the place before. "Jeez." Beca commented as she kicked an empty plastic bottle away. "Do you think the places are so chaotic because the zombies can run here?"

"I dunno. What makes them run, you think?" Chloe asked worriedly.

"I don't know. Canadian zombies sure are different than Americans. But... Hmmm.. maybe it's like an adaptation? Because you said zombies move slower in the cold, so they adapted and run instead?" The brunette thought aloud.

"Oh god. I hope that's not it. That would suck." The redhead bit her lip. "I thought coming here was a good plan."

"Me too. But we can't put ourselves into more danger." Beca sighed. "We're stuck here anyways. Our canisters are basically empty and we need to pump new gas."

"What are we gonna do, Becs?" Chloe said, looking at her girlfriend with scared eyes.

"Pump gas while someone is out on watch?" The brunette suggested. "We drove ourselves into a shitty situation."

The redhead nodded. "Okay. We can do this."

"Alright, then let's do this!" Beca nodded and together they walked back out again. They got the canisters and the jerrycan along with the siphon pump and made their way to the first car. "I'll check the car manual while you are on watch, then you'll pump and I'm on watch, got it?" She ordered as she disconnected the fuse, something she had quickly adapted from her girlfriend.

"Yeah." Chloe nodded. She was clutching her machete in her hands, ready to chop any zombie that dared to come near them.

The brunette smashed in the window and got out the car manual. "Pump." She said as she clutched her rifle, looking at the few zombies that were coming at her. She quickly shot them, making them drop dead to the ground.

The redhead nodded and sucked on the siphon, making the gas come out. She smiled at the smaller girl while the canister filled up. "It's not that much, but it's something."

"Yeah." Beca nodded as she kept looking around, like she was a tiger waiting for its prey.

Chloe pulled out the siphon with a soft pop and flipped it over her shoulder. "You comin, babe?"

"Ya." The brunette replied dorkily and strutted behind her girlfriend towards the next car. Chloe calling her babe made her feel all giddy and erupted butterflies in her stomach. Not that she would ever admit it.

 

They repeated this process until most of the canisters were filled up. Chloe huffed as she carried the heavy containers to the car.

"Want me to help?" Beca asked with a small smile.

"I'm good." The redhead said, her voice strained. She put the canisters into the trunk and wiped her sweaty forehead.

"You don't look like it though. You sure you're okay?" The brunette asked, concerned.

"Ya. Just… hard work, you know?" The taller girl smiled. She leaned against the car tiredly.

The other girl nodded as she filled some fuel into the car. "Don't force yourself to do shit though. Yes, it's the apocalypse, but when I was so sick and kept pushing myself I could've literally killed myself." She shrugged.

"Aw. You're worried about me. That's cute." Chloe smirked.

"Shut up." Beca rolled her eyes.

The redhead smiled, biting back her initial reply. "So, let's fill up the tank and explore, alright?"

"Yeah!" The brunette finished filling up the tank and they got back into the car, Beca behind the wheel. "Where to?" She asked.

"I don't know. You studied the map?" Chloe replied with a grin.

"Yeah. But like. Do you not have a place in mind?" The smaller girl asked.

"Disneyland." The redhead deadpanned.

"Well uhm." Beca's breath got caught in her throat. "That's a bit... Far isn't it?" She asked.

"Right. I was just joking. I don't care where we go, as long as I'm with you." The taller girl shrugged.

The brunette let out a breath of relief. "Yeah uhm. That's cheesy." She chuckled softly. She got out the map. "We could be crazy and travel to L.A." She suggested. "But we should definitely get out of Canada. I don't want to fight those fast motherfuckers."

"Yeah. Same. LA sounds fun." Chloe smiled.

"Let's put it on our list. I'd also like to check out Denver. And maybe Seattle." Beca thought aloud as she traced her finger over the roads, trying to find a good route.

"Okay. Whatever you say. I have no idea where all those places are anyway." The redhead admitted.

"Did you fail geography?" The brunette chuckled as she grabbed her pen to draw in the route.

".... Maybe...." Chloe bit her lip, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh my god!" Beca laughed. "How did you survive school then?"

The redhead laughed. "I don't know… I somehow managed to get my diploma."

"What diploma? The diploma at convincing the teachers to let you graduate, even if you failed geography?" The brunette asked. "Which reminds me.. how old are you even? You seem like 24 or something."

"I'm 23. And I didn’t convince the teachers to do that. I graduated with hard work. Nerd." Chloe laughed.

"I don’t believe you. Did you go to college? I mean, it’s no secret that I did. I would've graduated in music. But.. then the apocalypse came." Beca sighed. "I'm 21 by the way."

"Yeah… no. I didn't really… do much after high school." The redhed admitted shyly. “And that’s cute.”

"Oh." The brunette nodded. "Well, I hated college but I got to do it for free cause my dad was a teacher there.."

"Your dad was a teacher? Cool!" The taller girl exclaimed.

"Yeah. And a pain in the ass." Beca sighed. "I miss him..."

Chloe squeezed the other girl’s shoulder. "I miss my parents too..."

"I would've loved to meet them." The brunette smiled softly.

"They would have loved you. They were always pushing me to get a girlfriend." The redhead snickered.

"God, I hated that. My dad thankfully shut up when I introduced Jesse. But the longer we stayed together, the more the marriage jokes and teases began. It was really a burden." Beca rolled her eyes.

Chloe smiled at her girlfriend. "I wish I could have met him. He sounds great."

"Yeah." The brunette nodded with a sad smile. "Well, let's just drive. I'd say we just see where the road takes us, yeah?" She suggested.

The redhead nodded and prepped her sunglasses up on her face. "Let's ride!"


	10. Wash me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grab some popcorn, things are gonna get... Hot ;)

Beca started the car and drove out of Toronto, leaving the city behind. "I got a surprise." She retrieved some CDs out of her backpack. "That one dude had some nice tracks. Choose one." She handed the stack to the redhead.

The other girl gasped. "Wow. Beca, this is amazing!" She shuffled through the stack until she found a CD from Oasis. "This one!!!"

"Okay, put it in." The brunette smiled.

The taller girl got the CD out of the casing and pushed it into the CD slot of the radio. She bit her lip. "I dunno how this works." She admitted.

Beca rolled her eyes as she pressed play. The first song filled the car rather quietly, so she turned up the volume.

When Don't Look Back In Anger came on, Chloe gasped and slapped her girlfriend’s arm. "I love this song!"

"I don't know it." The smaller girl confessed.

The redhead rolled her eyes. "And you love music?"

"Oasis isn't really a band I listen to. I only know Wonderwall." Beca shrugged, not seeing the big deal.

"You suck." Chloe huffed.

"Excuse me? I'm sure you don't know Calum Scott or Wrabel, two singers I love listening to, let alone  all the songs of them." The brunette retorted with a glare.

"I do know both of them. Calum Scott's cover of Dancing On My Own is amazing and Wrabel is the singer from that Afrojack song… Ten Feet Tall?" The redhead replied, smirking. “But yeah, I don’t know all of their songs.” She admitted quietly.

Beca smirked. “See? You probably don’t know my favorite songs of them then.”

"Well, probably not. But if you don't even know Oasis, your music taste can't be that great." Chloe snickered at Beca's obvious annoyance to that.

"I will kick you out of this car if you insult my taste in music. Get my phone. Look through my iTunes and judge for yourself." The brunette glared.

"No thanks. I just wanna listen to Oasis." The taller girl stuck out her tongue and turned up the song, singing along softly.

Beca huffed and focused on the road, staring at it with anger while Chloe giggled to herself. She marvelled at how easy it was to get the other girl angry.

"What are you giggling about?" The brunette glared at the redhead.

"Nothing." The redhead replied innocently.

"Whatever. If there's one thing you should know about me it's you should never insult my taste in music. You're kinda off the hook because you're my girlfriend or whatever but still." Beca explained angrily.

"Aw… don't be angry. I was just joking." Chloe purred.

"No." The brunette simply replied, shaking her head.

The redhead crossed her arms. "You joke around all the time. And when I do it suddenly you get mad? Unfair."

"You insulted my music taste Chloe. My. Music. Taste." The smaller girl retorted.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, okay!"

"Sorry won't cut it." Beca clenched her jaw.

"Well… what can I do to make it up to you?" The redhead sighed, obviously annoyed.

"I don't know. Figure it out." The brunette huffed.

Chloe groaned. "I'm sorry I insulted your music taste. You're better than me in every way. Capice?" She looked Beca in the eye.

"Well, not in every way. But. That sounds acceptable." The smaller girl nodded. "Thank you."

The taller girl sunk back in her seat. "Thank god." She stared out of the window, trying to calm her annoyance.

 

They drove in silence. When the Oasis CD finished playing, Beca put in Adele's album before she stopped the car, turning at Chloe dramatically.

_ Hello _

_ It's me _

She leaned closer to the redhead, a smile playing her lips.

_ I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet _

The redhead shook her head, shrugging the brunette off. "No I don't want to meet.” She said, to which Beca frowned.

_ They say time's supposed to heal ya _

_ But I ain't done much healing _

She sunk back into her seat with a pout.

Chloe snickered, giving in. She started singing dramatically. 

_ Hello, can you hear me _

_ I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be _

_ When we were younger and free _

_ I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet _

_ There's such a distance _

_ Between us _

_ And a million miles _

They grinned at each other before they belted out the chorus.

_ Hello from the other side _

_ I must have called a thousand times _

_ To tell you I'm sorry _

_ For everything that I've done _

_ But when I call you never seem to be home _

The taller girl laughed as she leaned back in her chair. She looked at her girlfriend adoringly.

"Sorry for being a little shit." The brunette apologized as she started driving again.

The redhead looked up. "Thank you for apologising." She said shyly.

"Yeah I can be shitty sometimes. Gotta remind myself that not everything's about me." Beca smiled sheepishly.

"Well… I mean I understand that you'd get mad. But when I say sorry… I mean it. There's not much else I can do." Chloe pouted

"Okay. Note taken." The brunette smiled softly, taking the other girl’s hand in her own.

"You're cute, you know that?" The redhead admitted.

"What's cute about me?" Beca giggled. "Though, I gotta admit: you can be cute when you're not so closed off." She winked.

"Everything is cute!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Woah. Even the creep masturbating to two girls making out in the subway?" The brunette smirked.

The redhead’s eyes widened. "You… you did that?"

Beca choked on her spit. "What?!" She exclaimed.

"You made it sound like you did that!" Chloe exclaimed, blushing furiously.

"No! Oh my god!" The smaller girl blushed. "It was just a really gross example I came up with. I would... I would never masturbate in public. Let alone in a subway." She shuddered.

The redhead averted her gaze. "Well… okay. Sorry." She felt really embarrassed. “But you would do it?” She asked.

"Anyways." The brunette said loudly, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Next stop: the United States... Again."

Chloe nodded shyly. She couldn't get the imagine of a certain girl touching herself out of her head and she blushed furiously.

After that they remained silent, Beca eventually putting in a Fall Out Boy CD. She softly hummed along to the songs.

The redhead sang along as well, rubbing her legs together awkwardly, trying to get some of her friction out.

 

"Chloe." The brunette spoke up firmly after a while.

The other girl's head snapped up. "Y-Yes?" She whispered.

"I've been thinking." Beca continued, not looking at the redhead. "What do you think about stopping at the next river and taking a sort of shower?"

Chloe nodded shyly. "You mean bathing? I'd like that."

"Yeah, whatever. Because of me taking a shower at your place made me realize how bad I can smell." The brunette cringed. "And I forgot how smooth my hair can be."

"You smell fine to me. A lil sweaty, but that's okay." The redhead snickered. "It'll be nice to… be clean though." She admitted.

"Gee, thanks." Beca rolled her eyes. "Well, then that's settled."

"Are you okay with driving a little longer?" Chloe asked.

"Yuuuuup." The smaller girl nodded. "We could stop somewhere around Detroit. I know that there's a river there."

"Okay." The redhead nodded and leaned back in her chair. "Imma take a nap, okay?"

"Of course." Beca smiled as she turned down the volume. Chloe was getting way more sleep than her and she was still debating whether she was finally feeling safe or because she needed it. Maybe she had some kind of illness where it requires her to sleep this much. But then the past two months must have been torture. But, it had been torture for her too, so she didn't really complain. Thanks to her girlfriend she was definitely sleeping a little more at ease. And their car was also offering some protection, even though it looked dented already. Goddamn zombies. The brunette felt a pang of jealousy. She wished she could sleep a lot too, but she wasn't that selfish. Others would always come before her. No matter what. She chuckled weakly. She had adapted it from Jesse. So it wouldn't surprise her if she would sacrifice herself for Chloe.

 

The girl in question slept silently for a few hours, her head bobbing from left to right. Her arms were wrapped protectively around her own knees.

Beca woke up her girlfriend. "Yo Chloe, we're here. Seems like a good enough spot." She motioned at a river which water flowed by calmly, a few ducks paddling around in it.

Chloe snorted as she woke up. "Huh?" She looked around confusedly until she spotted the river. "Woah."

The brunette smiled. "Yes woah. Now come on." She retrieved a towel and some shampoo from her bag before she got out, stretching.

The redhead shuffled out of her seat and closed her eyes as the wind blew through her red curls softly. It was completely silent, except for a few birds tweeting here and there and a waterfall rushing in the distance.

Beca started stripping and went into the water, silently yelping at the cold. "Why is every fucking water we encounter so cold?!" She cursed as she swam around a little. "Also, you coming?!"

Chloe had been staring at her girlfriend and shook her head to clear it when she called out her name. "Yes!" She exclaimed while getting rid of her pants. She slipped her shirt over her head and got rid of her underwear as well. She shivered a bit in the cold wind and went to stand at the edge of the river. "Is it really that cold?" She squeaked.

"Nah. It's manageable." The brunette shrugged. "Get in, I won't splash you this time. Promise. Don't want you drowning again." She winked.

The redhead snickered and stepped into the water. She breathed out, her stomach muscles clenching. "Ah! It's so cold." She whimpered, but walked in more.

"Stay somewhere where you can still stand." Beca snickered as she swam towards her girlfriend.

Chloe was now submerged until her chest, the valleys of her breasts just jutting out above the cold water. Her feet stood on the muddy river floor and she cringed a little thinking about what would be on the floor of such a river. But it was nice. Refreshing.

The smaller girl had reached the redhead and wrapped her arms around her. "Sup?" She asked, smirking.

The other girl blushed a little. "Hey." She smiled.

"Ready to get some nice soap on your body?" The brunette smirked.

Chloe nodded. "Yes. Please."

Beca swam away again to get the bottle before she returned, squirting the content onto the redhead's head. "There you go." She giggled.

Chloe rolled her eyes smiling and started using the river water to build up a lather, spreading it throughout her hair. It smelled really nice.

The brunette started washing herself, feeling great to finally smell somewhat fresh again. She chuckled at herself. Two months ago she wouldn't even have imagined showering in a river. Now here she was.

The redhead let her head fall back, exposing her breasts from the water as she washed the shampoo out. Her slender fingers ran through her hair.

Beca blushed slightly as she turned away awkwardly. She did not need these kind of dirty thoughts now. She dived underwater, removing the shampoo that way. When she came back up, she shook her head, wiping her eyes.

Chloe was done washing her hair and smiled at her girlfriend. "You wanna wash my back?" She whispered as she got closer to the brunette.

"For that we would need to go out of the water a little more." Beca replied as she lifted up the shampoo bottle that she put on a nearby rock. "But sure."

The taller girl nodded. "Follow me." She said. She swam towards more shallow water and stood up so her back was exposed, and the water just covered her butt.

The brunette stood up and squirted some of the bottle into her hand before she rubbed her hands together. Then, she started spreading the shampoo over the redhead's back, gently caressing it.

Chloe closed her eyes at the feeling of Beca's hands on her bare skin. She realised this was the first time someone touched her so… intimately since the apocalypse started. A blush crept up her cheeks as she felt little electric sparks through her skin.

"Alright, all done." Beca smiled as she patted the redhead's shoulders.

"T-Thanks Becs." Chloe replied, a little breathless.

"You gonna do me too?" The brunette asked with a smirk.

The redhead’s eyes snapped up. "What?" She yelped.

"My back. Are you gonna do my back too?" Beca rolled her eyes, though she knew fully well what the other girl must’ve thought of.

Chloe blushed heavily. "Oh… Right." She cleared her throat. "Turn around then."

The brunette did as told, handing the redhead the shampoo bottle over her shoulder. "Here you go."

The redhead looked at her girlfriend’s bare back, her eyes roaming over the milky skin and stopping at the gunshot wound that was still healing. She squirted some shampoo into her hands and started massaging the soap onto Beca's back, biting her lip.

Beca closed her eyes at how gentle the other girl was being. She leaned into Chloe's hands, completely relishing the feeling.

The redhead felt her girlfriend lean into her and she smiled softly. When she was done and both washed off the shampoo, she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, pushing her chest flush against her back.

"You're really good at that." Beca smiled, keeping her eyes closed. "How gentle you are..."

Chloe hummed into Beca's ear. "Your skin feels really nice." She whispered.

"I'm sure it tastes nice too." The brunette flirted, a smirk playing her lips.

The other girl closed her eyes. "Is… Is this okay?" She asked as she ran her fingers through the smaller girl's hair, brushing it to the side and exposing her neck.

Beca nodded slowly. "I'll tell you when to stop, okay?" She whispered, her voice a little shaky. The question had increased her heartbeat and she was really hoping the redhead couldn't feel it.

Chloe hummed as she pressed her lips onto the brunette's neck. Her senses were flooded with the smell of her shampoo and the feeling of her girlfriend’s skin against hers. She let her tongue run along the line of Beca's neck and nibbled on her earlobe softly while her arms snaked around her, brushing against the side of her breast.

Beca decided to push the nervous butterflies away and just let herself sink into the feeling. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, enjoying the redhead's lips on her neck and earlobe. Chloe was... Much more gentle than Jesse had been. There also was no stubble that would scratch her skin occasionally, but rather smooth skin which created a new and unique feeling. It doesn't hurt. It just feels good. "Your chin is so soft." She whispered.

Chloe pulled away to let out a soft chuckle. "I've never had anyone compliment my chin before. Thanks I guess?" She snickered.

"It's just... No stubble, you know?" The brunette confessed. "Jesse's stubble was sure to give me a rash sometimes. So... It's a nice change."

"It would be really...really weird if I had stubble. But I'm glad you like it." The redhead whispered as she bit into the skin on Beca's neck.

Beca whimpered softly. "Yeah." She replied weakly. She slowly turned around, making the other girl pull back in confusion, before she cupped Chloe's face. "I want to kiss you." The brunette whispered. "Is that okay?"

"Of course." The redhead smiled and closed her eyes, her hands moving down to rest at Beca’s hips.

"Okay." The smaller girl nodded before she slowly connected their lips, wrapping her arms around the taller girl's neck.

Chloe melted into the kiss, feeling her heart do somersaults in her chest. The feeling of Beca's arms around her neck made her feel extremely safe and she let her tongue run over the brunette's lower lip, asking for permission shyly.

Beca parted her lips slightly, her tongue eagerly meeting Chloe's. She whimpered softly as she pulled her closer, blushing lightly at the fact that she could feel the other girl's breast against her chest.

The redhead let her hands wander down to the brunette’s butt, stopping before she did anything. She pulled away shortly, a little breathless. "Is this okay?" She panted.

"Y-yeah." Beca nodded a little nervously. She felt something building up in the pit of her stomach and she bit her lip, trying not to think about it too hard. Or to glance down her girlfriend's body. Or to overthink where the other girl's hands were at right now. So, she leaned back in, capturing Chloe's lips again.

Chloe smiled into the kiss and softly squeezed the brunette’s butt. She wanted nothing more than to make her girlfriend feel good, but she was too scared to make any bold moves.

The smaller girl pulled away again, but before the other girl could protest, she pushed the red hair away and connected her lips with the redhead's neck. She hummed at the fact how good it tasted and bit down gently.

The other girl let out a soft whimper, closing her eyes. "Becs..." She whispered. She felt a shot of arousal go through her abdomen.

"Yeah?" Beca whispered, pulling back a little, her breath still hitting the redhead's skin.

"That....that felt really good." Chloe whimpered. "Please don't stop."

"Okay." The smaller girl nodded before she reconnected her lips, sucking on the same spot again.

The redhead couldn't help herself and let out a small moan. She felt super embarrassed but her body was craving for more.

Beca’s ear perked up at the noise. There was something thrilling about it, telling her body to do more to get more noises of pleasure. So she obeyed, her hands wandering down to the redhead's butt before she pulled her closer, her mouth moving up to nibble up to the redhead's earlobe.

Chloe let out a strained whimper. "Beca… you… what are you doing?" She whispered.

"S-sorry." The brunette's face flushed bright red as she pulled away, averting her gaze. "Just... Trying to block out my nervosity and listen to my body. That's all..."

"No… don't… don't stop. Please...." The redhead replied. "I… I want you to touch me."

Beca could feel her pupils dilate as she looked at the girl in her arms. She looked around nervously to check if there was any possible danger before she focused back on the other girl. "Where?" She asked shyly.

"We… we could get back to the car. Maybe it's safer..." Chloe whispered. She realised how exposed they were and anyone could see them.

"And dry off maybe." Beca agreed weakly. She slowly let go of her girlfriend before she awkwardly crossed her arms over her chest, looking at the other girl.

The redhead sensed that the brunette felt awkward and she smiled. "Yes. I'll get us a towel. Hang on." She slipped out of the river and unlocked the car, grabbing both of them a towel. She handed Beca one, who had already left the water as well and smiled shyly. They both dried off and Chloe opened up the backdoor, letting down the backseat so they had space to lay down on. She bit her lip as she realised how unromantic it was. A lightbulb went off in her head and she scrambled forward, grabbing the fluffy blanket with rainbows on it and spreading it through the backseat. "There...." She said to herself and to Beca, who had been watching her nervously.

The brunette smiled softly. "That's really sweet of you… And gay." She motioned for the redhead to climb inside. "I... I'm really nervous." She quietly confessed.

Chloe laid down and patted the space next to her. "I understand. Do you… do you want to talk about it first?" She whispered.

"That... That sounds lame." Beca giggled softly as she laid down next to the redhead, closing the door behind her and locking it. "But... Maybe it wouldn't be that bad of an idea." She bit her lip.

The redhead smiled shyly. "Okay. What are you nervous about?" She asked softly, turning around so she could face her girlfriend.

"Good question. How about everything?" The brunette replied. "I just. I mean. I get the basic idea of how it works, but I'm just... Scared of actually doing it I guess?" She chuckled softly. "But isn't it gonna end up being not satisfying if you overthink everything? Like I am right now? God, I'm sorry."

Chloe had to chuckle softly. "You're thinking too much. " She wiped a stray strand of hair behind the smaller girl’s ear. "Your body will tell you what to do. And so will I. But you need to calm down, okay?"

"Okay." Beca nodded nervously. "Can we just... Kiss for a while?" She asked shyly.

The redhead nodded, already getting lost in her girlfriend’s eyes. "Okay." She whispered, cupping the brunette's cheek with her hand and pressing her lips onto Beca's softly.

The brunette let out a shaky breath as she relaxed against the taller girl's lips.  _ This is just like in the car the other day _ . She thought to herself.  _ Just climb back on top of her _ . Beca gave herself an internal nod before she prepped herself up with one arm, her lips never leaving Chloe's as she continued kissing her. Her hand trailed from her cheek to her neck, stroking over it softly.

Chloe wanted Beca to take the first steps because she knew how scared the brunette was. She felt her hands run over her skin and smiled into the kiss.

Beca softly bit the redhead's lip, gently tugging on it before releasing it again.

The redhead’s breath hitched at the brunette’s actions. The other girl might be nervous, but she knew exactly what to do to make her heart beat faster.

With a surge of confidence Beca swung herself onto the redhead, straddling her hips. She opted for almost completely lying down on her, still supporting her weight with her arms. She kissed Chloe a little more confidently now, relishing in this new feeling of calmness.

When the brunette laid on top of her, the redhead looked into her eyes, feeling her heart beat loudly in her chest. She closed her eyes and felt fireworks explode through her entire body when Beca kissed her. Her skin felt so soft and amazing against hers and a small blush made its way up her neck and cheeks.

The smaller girl's hand shyly made its way to the other girl's boob, cupping it gently. She disconnected her lips only to kiss along Chloe's jaw to her neck, softly nibbling on it.

Chloe let out a soft whimper. Beca was being so careful and soft and it made her head swim. She tilted her head and her breath hitched.

"It... It feels weird to have boobs in my hand that aren't my own." The brunette confessed shyly. "Weird but good."

The redhead let out a breathless chuckle. "Well, I'm glad it feels good. " She looked into Beca's eyes lovingly.

Beca bit her lip while smiling softly before she squeezed the redhead's breast. She let her thumb run over the hardened nipple, watching the other girl's reaction intently.

Chloe let out a strained moan, her lips parted slightly. "That… that's just mean." She whispered.

"Why?" The smaller girl replied, continuing with the action. The redhead's moan had just added to the building heat in her stomach and she found herself letting loose, which she was glad of.

The redhead's eyes pinched close. "You… you're such a tease." She whispered.

"Sorry if I'm taking too long." Beca apologized, averting her gaze. Her hand stilled, now resting at the side of the redhead's chest. "I just... It's fascinating."

Chloe nodded, biting her lip. "I know. Take your time. It's just… my body is like screaming for you to touch me. I'm sorry." She blushed.

"That's kind of hot." The brunette admitted shyly. She moved her hands again, letting it wander over the redhead's stomach and abdomen, stilling on the lower abdomen. She bit her lip, deciding what to do, before she settled for kissing over Chloe's chest and collarbone before she reached the side of her breast. She slowly nibbled her way up and carefully took the other girl's nipple into her mouth, sucking on it softly before flicking her tongue over it.

Chloe let out a whimper as she arched her back, her hands clutching at the blanket. She felt a wave of pleasure go through her and her center throbbed almost painfully.

The redhead's reaction made Beca's breath hitch. She couldn't believe she was able to elect that from her girlfriend. She took a deep breath before she reconnected their lips, her hand wandering even further down. She let her finger graze over the other girl's clit, marveling the fact she was touching another woman's private part, not her own. It made her want to touch herself too, but she thought it'd be a little weird to do that. So she bit Chloe's bottom lip instead before kissing it soothingly.

As soon as Beca's fingers touched her most sensitive point, Chloe let out a shaky breath. She wanted more, so she guided the smaller girl’s hand down with her own, needing her to touch her, to relieve her.

The brunette's breath hitched as she could feel the redhead's wetness. She pulled back. "Do I... Do I just... You know?" She was at a loss for words and blushed heavily, but she wanted the taller girl to feel good.

"You're… you're doing fine." Chloe whispered. "I'll let you know, okay?" She looked at Beca with a soft smile, her eyes a little dark.

"Okay." The brunette nodded with a shaky breath before she pushed her fingers in slowly. She moved them in and out like she'd do with herself, watching her girlfriend’s reactions.

"Oh… god." The redhead whispered softly as Beca pushed her fingers inside of her. She buckled her hips and pulled her knees up as an involuntary reaction. Her hands clutched at the blanket as she let out a soft moan.

The reaction gave the smaller girl a little more confidence as she resumed what she was doing, deciding to lick over the redhead's nipple for additional pleasure before sucking on it again. She nibbled it softly, trying not to hurt her girlfriend in the process.

"This… this is amazing… keep doing it." Chloe whispered a little breathless, her senses overflooding with pleasure.

Beca hummed softly to signal the redhead that she understood. She quickened her pace a little, her mouth wandering up to the other girl's neck again. She sucked on Chloe's pulse point.

The redhead's lips were slightly parted as she let out soft moans with every move of Beca's fingers inside of her. A heavy blush had spread over her cheeks and she felt Beca's thumb softly massage her clit while kissing down on her neck.

"Your moans sound so... Good and satisfying. Wow." Beca breathed out as she curled her fingers, trying to find the spot that has her falling over the edge.

"Your… your fingers... are like magic." Chloe panted softly. She hadn't expected much from the brunette, seeing as this was her first time having sex with a girl, but she made her feel things she had never felt things before. Her hands clutched at the rainbow filled blanket as she rocked her hips against Beca's fingers.

"Your body lights mine on fire." The smaller girl confessed as she kept doing what she was, reconnecting her lips with Chloe's for some open mouth kisses.

The other girl felt herself getting close as she let her head fall back while Beca kissed down her neck. "I'm... I..." She whimpered as she pinched her eyes close.

The brunette noticed how close her girlfriend was and decided to increase the pace, curling her fingers more. "Come for me." She whispered into the taller girl’s ear before she nibbled on her earlobe.

Chloe's eyes widened as she flew over the edge, her hips falling back onto the blanket and her chest heaving. "Shit...." She whispered softly.

Beca pulled out her fingers, looking at the other girl with wide eyes. "Woah." She commented as she stared at her fingers, not knowing what to do with them. She opted for awkwardly wiping them on the blanket. "I just made you come. With my own two fingers. Amazing."

The redhead smiled shyly. "You… you were amazing, Beca." She whispered, looking deeply into the brunette's eyes.

"Thanks." Beca ducked her head in embarrassment.

"I mean it! Like… woa." Chloe pushed, propping herself up on her elbow.

"Yeah it's just... I don't know." The smaller girl chuckled softly. "God, I just fingered you when there are other, bigger problems out there."

The redhead let out a sigh. "I don't give a shit about those problems. All I care about now I making you feel good and how you made me feel. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay." Beca smiled softly as she let her fingers run over the redhead's side.

"So....." Chloe whispered. She sat up and pulled the brunette close, kissing her shoulder.

Beca's breath hitched. She bit her lip, looking at the girl in front of her. "Make me feel good." She whispered quietly. "Please."

The redhead pressed her lips to Beca's neck before smiling at her. "Of course." She winked. Her hands sneaked around the brunette's back, pushing her down against the floor of the trunk.

The smaller girl watched the other girl in amazement, enjoying the dominance the redhead radiated. But she couldn't help the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she tried her best not to focus on that. It's just sex. Something she'd done a lot before. Just not with a girl. But it'll be just as good. Right?

Chloe started kissing down Beca's neck, her hands massaging the brunette's breasts lovingly. She tried to be very careful, knowing that the other girl was probably really nervous. Her leg slipped between Beca's and she pushed her up a little, her hips buckling against her knee.

Beca moaned softly, her heart fluttering lightly at the redhead's gentleness. She rested her hands on the redhead’s lower back, closing her eyes to sink into the feeling.

Chloe took notice of every sound and move the other girl made, so she knew when it became too much. She smiled slightly when she felt the smaller girl relax into her touch and saw her close her eyes. She softly kissed the brunette's cheek before moving on, kissing down her neck, chest and stomach.

Beca let her hands slide up to the redhead's hair, tangling them in it. She could feel the anticipation building inside her, pushing away the nervosity completely. She looked down, the sight of the taller girl kissing her everywhere, loving and caring, made her heart leap out of her chest. She smiled softly.

"Is this okay?" Chloe asked, pressing a kiss onto Beca's hip bone softly before looking up. She wanted to make sure her girlfriend was fine, before moving on to the next step.

"Yeah." Beca bit her lip. "I'll tell you if it gets too much."

The redhead nodded. "Okay." She whispered softly. Her hands moved up to massage the brunette's breasts while she started kissing up her thigh.

The smaller girl laid back down, closing her eyes. She could feel the other girl nearing her entrance and she was excited, yet scared to find out what it'd feel like. Jesse had eaten her out before, but she didn't really like it because of his stubble. Now she'd finally experience smooth skin and was really looking forward to how it felt.

As Chloe connected her lips to Beca's center, she heard the brunette moan softly. Her hands settled on her girlfriend's thighs as she let her tongue run through the other girl's folds, marvelling at how she tasted.

Beca buckled her hips a little, letting out a shaky breath at the feeling. It felt really good, better than Jesse. She immediately needed more, whining softly.

The redhead felt Beca's hips against the mouth and had to smirk. She let her tongue run over the brunette's clit before biting down on it softly, still keeping up her gentle manner.

"Shit." The smaller girl cursed softly. "Sorry." She immediately apologized. "Just felt really good."

Chloe snickered. "Don't apologize. It's okay." She smiled at the brunette before resuming, sucking on the other girl's clit softly.

Beca tightened her grip on the redhead’s hair a little, the wave of pleasure overtaking her body. Her body screamed at her to insert something into her to get more relief, and the brunette obeyed. "Chloe, please... Relieve me more." She begged quietly. "Insert your fingers."

Chloe nodded and did as her girlfriend said, carefully pushing her fingers into the other girl. Her mouth was still connected to Beca's clit as she started moving her fingers in and out slowly.

Beca threw her head back as she moaned. The fingers were working wonders on her already. She buckled her hips again, taking in everything hungrily.

The redhead marvelled at the brunette in front of her and the way she reacted to her touches. She sped up the pace a little, feeling as if Beca could handle it.

The smaller girl whimpered softly as she felt more pleasure washing over her. It was definitely better than anything she'd experienced before, and she was loving it. She clutched a little tighter onto the redhead's hair, pushing her more against herself to get more friction.

Chloe enjoyed hearing the sounds of pleasure coming from her girlfriend as she curled her fingers inside of her. It was weird. She somehow felt as if this was the first time she had felt such intense emotions while having sex with a girl. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest while she pleasured her girlfriend.

Beca felt herself getting close. "A little..." She tried to form words, her brain failing her however. "A little more..." She cut herself off with a small breathy moan that escaped her lips. "Deeper." She breathed out, a small sense of pride washing over her for even talking at this point.

"Okay." The redhead breathed out softly, as she pushed her fingers in even deeper, massaging the brunette's clit with her thumb. She knew Beca was getting close and she wanted to enjoy pleasuring her for a little longer.

The smaller girl let out a deep moan as the redhead managed to make her tumble over the edge. She untangled her hands from Chloe's hair, letting them drop limply on the side. "Shit."

"Woa." The taller girl whispered as she pulled her fingers out, licking them off while she moved up to cuddle into Beca. "That was beautiful." She whispered.

"That was... Better than anything I've ever experienced." The brunette replied breathlessly, her eyes meeting the redhead's. "Like... Wow."

Chloe let out a soft chuckle. "Same here. I feel like… like my heart just grew like three sizes." She stroked a piece of hair behind Beca's ear. "You're absolutely nothing but gorgeous." She whispered.

"You looked really hot." Beca confessed. She felt herself get lost in the other girl's eyes, completely forgetting all of her surroundings.

"So… it felt good?" The redhead asked shyly. "You're not scared anymore?"

The brunette simply nodded her head with a smile. "Thank you. For being so understanding..."

"Of course. I understand it's scary, especially in this time of the apocalypse. Letting go and giving yourself over to someone completely? That's hard when the world has turned to shit." Chloe replied, smiling as well.

"Yeah." Beca nodded. "I'm really glad that I met you."

The taller girl smiled softly, her arms wrapping around her girlfriend’s back. "I'm glad you saved me that day. And that I'm still… alive. You know?"

"Me too." The brunette whispered. She leaned forward to press light kisses on the tip of the redhead's nose, cheek and mouth. "Really glad."

The other girl blushed shyly at her girlfriend. "Do you want to spend the night here? It seems pretty safe. And I don't want to leave just yet… you know?"

"I wouldn't have moved a muscle." Beca grinned sheepishly. "So we're stuck here."

"Alright. Move up though. I'll pull the blanket over us." Chloe whispered.

"Okay." The brunette moved a little so the redhead could easily drape the blanket over them. She laid back down, her arm resting on the other girl's hip. "Hi." She smirked.

"Hello." Chloe replied with a smile. "This is kinda nice. Not as good as a bed, but you know..."

"Oh my. Sorry. Let me just put the apocalypse on hold for you so we can enjoy a normal date night. I'll put on the TV and then we might shower together. Oh, also, some background music, to set the mood." Beca rolled her eyes. "It's good enough. I'm content and happy. That's all that counts."

The redhead beamed at the girl opposite her. "I'm happy too. I think. I don't really know what happy feels like anymore." She frowned

"Well I think if your heart grew three sizes it is a safe indication that you are happier than usual." The smaller girl smiled softly. "So..."

"I guess you're right." Chloe grinned. She let out a soft yawn.

"Goodnight Chlo." Beca grinned, her thumb brushing over her girlfriend’s hip.

"Goodnight… I… I like you a lot." The redhead whispered. She wanted to say more, but it felt like such a heavy thing to say at this point, so she changed her words at the last second.

The brunette smiled softly. "I like you a lot too... I think."

The other girl blushed slightly and snuggled her face into Beca's bare shoulder. "Hmmmm… Night."

Beca closed her eyes and fell asleep, her breath evening out rather quickly. She dreamt about taking her girlfriend to the fair, smiling the entire night.

Chloe fell asleep much later, watching the brunette and her smile intently and also looking outside every now and then. She felt like it was a bad idea for both of them to sleep at the same time, but after staying up for several hours, she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore and dropped off to sleep as well.

 

Beca woke up the next morning, the sun tickling her nose. She turned her head to look at her girlfriend. She smiled as she saw the aftersex glow the redhead emitted. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face, kissing the tip of her nose lightly.

"Hmmmm...." Chloe softly moaned in her sleep, rubbing the spot on her nose that the brunette just kissed as if there was something itchy there.

The smaller girl giggled before kissing it again, wondering if she could elect the same reaction once more.

"Stop it...." The redhead said in a very sleepy voice, rubbing her nose again. Her brow furrowed a little angrily.

Beca snickered as she kissed it again. "Or what?"

The taller girl groaned in her sleep. "I'm sorry Mr. Spider but I'm trying to do maths here." She whispered.

The brunette blinked at the redhead in front of her before stifling a laugh, realizing her girlfriend was sleep talking. "Can I help you with a problem?" She asked.

"No. You have too many legs." Chloe replied, her brow furrowing even more.

"Okay then I'll just keep bothering your nose." Beca smirked as she pressed another kiss onto the redhead's nose.

Chloe's eyes shot open in alarm. "Don't!" She yelped before realising there was no spider and it was just Beca.

The brunette laughed. "Good morning sleep talker." She greeted.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The redhead replied, her voice still very sleepy.

"You talk in your sleep. You thought I was a spider." Beca giggled.

Chloe's brow furrowed. "Oh… Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I heard you say it." The brunette smirked. "I didn't think you were a sleep talker."

"I didn't know either.... Aubrey never mentioned it." The taller girl felt a soft smile tug at her lips.

Beca smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good. I was up for a while after you went though. On watch." The redhead confessed.

"Or were you just watching me?" The smaller girl wiggled her eyebrows.

Chloe chuckled. "I can't deny that." She stretched her arms, the blanket falling down and exposing her stomach. "It's kinda hot. You think the sun's out?"

"No. I just set up a dozen lamps outside the car." Beca rolled her eyes. Her eyes fell onto the exposed stomach and her breath hitched. "We should get dressed."

"Or… we could not." The redhead replied, biting her lip.

"What are you suggesting?" The brunette whispered, her eyes going up to meet her girlfriend's.

"I think you know." The other girl smirked, rolling over so she was on top of Beca.

The brunette's hands flew up to the redhead's back, biting her lip. "I forgot your comment on how sexual you are." She whispered, her eyes dropping onto Chloe's lips. "I don't know if we should though."

Chloe let out a sigh. "I know...I'm sorry." She averted her gaze a little sadly.

"But you know me. Blowing caution into the wind." Beca smirked before leaning up to capture the redhead's lips.

The girl in question let out a surprised hum. She kissed her girlfriend back before pulling away. "Are you sure? I don't… want to pressure you."

"I think I'm more confident now. And I don't know how long I have to wait when we start driving again." The brunette whispered.

Chloe nodded. "Okay. As long as you feel safe about it, I'm down."

"Come back down here." Beca smirked before she captured the redhead's lips again passionately.

 

After they were done, the redhead let out a happy sigh as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "I don't want to ever leave this place." She whispered.

"We have to." The brunette pouted. "Food isn't gonna magically come to us."

"I know. But… who knows when we'll be this safe again." Chloe pouted.

"True." Beca frowned.

"I'm sorry. It's okay!" The redhead quickly said, not wanting the brunette to feel bad.

"Let's just get dressed, alright?" The brunette smiled softly, running her fingers along the other girl’s jaw.

Chloe nodded. "Yeah. That's probably better. Just… one second." She heaved herself up, sitting back and letting her eyes roam over Beca's body. She marvelled at the brunette's legs, her soft skin, her toned stomach and her perfectly rounded breasts. She moved forward to give each spot a little kiss and sat back again, smiling.

"Dude. You just took my breath away." Beca whispered. “That was so cheesy.”

"I just… wanted to look at you a little longer. But now I'm good." The redhead admitted shyly.

The brunette wordlessly grabbed the redhead's face and pressed a long kiss onto her lips, trying to be as loving as possible.

The other girl smiled and blushed when Beca pulled away. "Woa. "

"That's how much I like you." The smaller girl whispered softly.

"It seems like you like me a lot." Chloe let out a breathless chuckle.

Beca nodded wordlessly. "A whole lot."

The redhead grinned. "I like you a whole lot too."

"Cool." The brunette grinned as she pulled in Chloe for another kiss.

"What happened to getting dressed?" The redhead smiled into the kiss.

"Shhh." Beca simply replied. "I need to give you love now."

"Oh, do you now?" Chloe smirked.

"Yeah." The smaller girl replied replied before she kissed the redhead again, straddling her hips.

"Hey, hey, hey. We said we'd get dressed!" The other girl giggled, mocking an angry tone.

Beca pouted. "Just a little kissing. Nothing sexual. I swear."

Chloe smiled and nodded. "Alright then." She shuffled up so she could reach the brunette better.

The smaller girl smirked before she kissed her girlfriend again, her heart fluttering happily in her chest. She felt the redhead kissing her lovingly.

Chloe was feeling like everything in the world made sense just for a little bit as Beca wrapped her arms around the other girl's neck, having never felt this content while kissing somebody.

"Hmmmm… your kisses are so nice. Did you know that?" The redhead hummed softly.

"Thanks. Yours are really great too." The brunette replied before biting the other girl's bottom lip softly.

"I would never have guessed that I'm the first girl you had sex with. I mean that in a nice way." The taller girl smiled.

"Well, I'm glad." Beca grinned. "You're really a great person."

"I'm honoured I was your first." Chloe winked.

The smaller girl ran a hand through her girlfriend’s hair. "Weirdo." She smirked.

The redhead smiled. "I'm just glad you were able to let go. I know it was scary, so I'm proud of you."

"Yeah, me too." The brunette smiled. "Now let's get dressed forreal." She said, lightly smacking the taller girl’s shoulders.

"Aw. Okay." Chloe pouted but nodded. They got dressed silently, both clearly sad about the need to end the moment they shared.

Beca dropped on the driver's seat. "Alright, next stop: Denver? Sound good?" She asked, starting up the car.

The redhead curled up on the passenger's seat and nodded. "Sounds like fun. Have we got enough gas go get there?" She asked, looking at the fuel meter a little worriedly.

"If not we can stop in time and pump." The brunette suggested. "There are so many cars out there." She smiled confidently at her girlfriend.

Chloe nodded. "Alright. I guess we can go anywhere we want, huh?" She smiled at the realisation, feeling a little better as Beca drove away.


	11. Disneyland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guyyyyssssss! You're gonna love this chapter :D Why? Well, you have to find out...

A few weeks had passed since their first time. The girls visited a few major cities, roaming through them and taking what they needed to survive. Currently, they were on the road once more. Chloe had fallen asleep in the car again. Beca smiled widely at her before turning her attention back to the road. It was nearing 5am and the brunette was about to reach Orlando. She couldn't help but picture the excited look on her girlfriend's face when she saw Disneyland. Beca had also managed to get a present for her, being glad that she had managed to keep it hidden from the other girl. Shortly after, she pulled into a parking lot at Disneyland, ignoring the zombies stumbling around. She gently woke up the redhead with soft kisses over her face. "Hey Chlo." She whispered as the other girl slowly woke up. "Happy birthday."

Chloe's eyes fluttered open, staring into Beca's eyes shyly. "What?" She said in a sleepy voice.

"Look ahead of you." The brunette smiled widely.

The redhead blinked into the light a little confusedly but her eyes widened when she looked around. She noticed the almost empty parking lots and then she saw the entrance, the castle. Before she knew it, her eyes filled with tears. "Beca..." She whispered.

"Happy birthday, baby." Beca grinned widely.

Chloe wrapped her arms around the other girl and she sniffled into her shoulder. "Oh my god, we're here. I can't believe it!"

"I also got a present for you." Beca whispered.

"A p-present?" The redhead pulled away and looked into her girlfriend’s eyes.

The brunette nodded and leaned over to the backseat, grabbing underneath it. "I know it's not wrapped up or anything but..." She retrieved a guitar from the backseat and handed it to the redhead. "Here you go."

Chloe's breath hitched as she held the guitar in her hands, hugging it close to her body as she looked at her girlfriend with teary eyes. "Beca… where did you find this?" She whispered. Her hands were aching to play and she tested out the strings, tuning the guitar.

"Remember our separate house raiding in Dallas? I found it in a room and decided to take it with me." Beca smiled. "You deserve it."

Chloe played a few chords, marvelling at the music that filled the car. She had missed playing more than she realised and let a few tears escape.

The smaller girl grinned widely at her girlfriend. "I'm glad you like it."

The redhead blinked her tears away and nodded. "I'm… I can't tell you how happy this makes me. Thank you so much. I can’t believe you managed to hide it from me for so long." She whispered.

"What do you say? Let's murder some zombies and go to Disneyland." Beca nudged her girlfriend, wiping away a few tears.

Chloe replied with a huge grin and nodded. She hugged the guitar once more and put it back in the backseat for safekeeping. "I could bring it." She offered. "Play you some songs."

"Let's do it when we cleared this place as best as we could, alright?" The brunette grinned. A few zombies seemed to have noticed them. She grabbed her rifle, readying it. "Ready?" She smirked.

The redhead grabbed her machete tightly in her hands and nodded. They exited the car, and stood back to back, ready to fight whatever was coming at them, together.

 

They shot and slashed the zombies that were heading their way, confidently moving forward. Once they reached the entrance they stepped inside. Someone in a ripped Goofy costume was stumbling towards them. "Oh no, they couldn't take off the costumes?" Beca asked pitiful as she shot at it, making the zombie drop to the ground.

Chloe pouted. "That's kinda sad." She whispered. Her eyes roamed around the entrance, coming across a dried up fountain. "It would have been cool if this had water in it." She smiled.

"It surely would." The brunette agreed. "Oh, watch out!" She shot behind the redhead, hitting a zombie that was sneaking up on them.

Chloe stumbled back, a little caught of guard. "Oh… I didn't even know he was there." She whispered, her jaw clenched.

"You would've known when he tried to bite you." Beca chuckled. "Come on, let's go check this place out more."

"Okay. I'll follow you." The redhead nodded.

"I I follow, I follow you deep sea baby, I'll follow you." The brunette sang with a grin as they made their way around the park.

"You're a dork." The taller girl commented softly.

"Your dork." Beca winked.

"Oof. Cheesy." Chloe laughed.

"Can't help it. You kind of crashed through my badass side." The brunette shrugged as she shot a couple of zombies heading their way.

The redhead smirked. "I'm glad. I like your cheesy side."

"I mean, it also organized you this awesome birthday present. Sooo." Beca shrugged with a smirk.

"Exactly." Chloe replied with a shy smile. "So… where are we gonna go?"

"Well, I have no flying fucking clue about this place. So. You guide me." The smaller girl grinned sheepishly.

"Because of course, I know where I'm going." The redhead snickered. She pointed towards the big Cinderella castle they could see in the distance. "That's where I wanna go."

"Okay, then let's go." Beca smiled as she took her girlfriend's hand.

Chloe nodded and pulled the other girl along excitedly. They looked at the broken down rides a little sadly, and made their way through the park.

When they arrived in front of the castle, Beca looked at it in amazement. "Isn't this the castle where people propose all the time or confess their love?" She asked.

Chloe nodded. "It's Cinderella's castle." She looked up in amazement, not really realising Beca’s underlying message.

"Hmmmm..." The brunette hummed. She admired the castle, her gaze soon dropping onto the redhead next to her. She could understand now why so many people decided to propose or confess their love here. She took the other girl's hand, smiling softly.

Chloe looked at the other girl with a smile. "Can we try to go in?"

"I love you." Beca replied without missing a beat.

The redhead's breath hitched as she looked at her girlfriend, their eyes locking. "What?" She whispered.

"I love you, Chloe." The smaller girl repeated, a little nervosity in her voice now evident.

Before Beca could say anything more, Chloe's eyes filled with tears. She let out a soft whimper and blinked her tears away, letting them fall. "I… I love you too." She whispered, barely audible.

Beca's smile grew as relief washed over her. "This feels amazing." She whispered as she pulled the redhead closer. "Say it again."

"I love you!" The redhead exclaimed excitedly, a grin spreading across her teary face.

"I love you too." The brunette giggled before pulling the other girl in for a long kiss.

Chloe's eyes closed as she melted into the kiss, hugging the brunette. Beca felt so happy she didn't realize she was dipping the redhead. She pulled her back up before readjusting her lips, kissing her again.

"Don't drop me, okay?" Chloe snickered as she kissed Beca back.

"No. Never." The smaller girl smiled, pulling away. "Now let's try to enter the castle."

The redhead nodded excitedly. They found a small entrance, presumably used for employees. Beca entered first, watchful for any zombies coming their way while Chloe watched their backs. "It seems deserted." The redhead whispered after a while.

"Good." The brunette replied as she looked around. The room was huge and her eyes widened in amazement as she looked around. "Woah."

Chloe's mouth opened a little. The room they had entered resembled a throne room, with a huge, glimmering floor and some thrones at the end of the room. "Wow." The girl was just as amazed as her girlfriend.

"They really payed attention to the details huh?" Beca whispered as she walked around, almost tripping over a fallen statue socket.

The taller girl giggled at the brunette and nodded. "Can we live here?" She asked softly, her voice serious.

"I'm sorry but no. Too many zombies here." Beca patted the redhead's shoulder. "But we can stay here for a while."

"I guess you're right. Wanna sit on the throne with me?" Chloe offered sweetly.

"It would be an honor." The smaller girl smiled as she took the redhead's hand and guided her towards the throne. She plopped down and extended her hands. "If you kiss my hand you might be allowed to sit."

"Oh, what, you're the queen now?" Chloe giggled softly.

"Yes." Beca replied matter of factly. "Now do as I say or no kisses."

The redhead kneeled down dramatically, bowing her head before grabbing the brunette's hand and planting a soft kiss on it.

Beca smiled at the action. "You may sit on my lap."

Chloe nodded and planted herself down on the brunette's lap carefully, still keeping up her soldier-y manner.

Beca giggled. "We're dorks." She planted a wet kiss onto the redhead's cheek with a loud smack.

"Ya." Chloe wrapped her arms around the other girl's neck to keep herself steady, smiling at her shyly.

"You're so old now." Beca spoke up after a while. "I'm dating a grandma as of now."

The other girl gasped. "Oh my god, I'm not old!" She squeezed the brunette's arm teasingly.

"You soooo are." Beca giggled as she poked the redhead's belly playfully.

Chloe breathed out a giggle. "Don't! That tickles!"

The brunette's face turned mischievous. "Does it now?" She asked, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

The redhead nodded, unaware of what Beca was planning.

"Oh, it'd be too bad if someone..." The smaller girl trailed off, starting to tickle her girlfriend. "Were to attack you!" She smirked.

"No!" Chloe let out a shaky breath and started giggling as Beca tickled her stomach. She tried to push the brunette away, but failed miserably.

Beca giggled as she stopped. "Who knew you were so ticklish?" She smirked.

The other girl narrowed her eyes at her and let out a long breath. "Don't you ever, ever, do that again."

"Swear I won't." The brunette smiled innocently. "I'll only tickle you with kisses from now on. Everywhere." She winked.

"That sounds a lot nicer than tickling. I approve." Chloe nodded, biting her lip.

Beca smiled. "I know." Just as she was about to lean in for a kiss, some zombies rounded the corner. "Naw shit." She pouted but quickly readied her rifle, shooting at them.

The redhead felt their bubble literally pop and she slipped away from Beca's lap, sighing sadly. They took care of the zombies quickly and the taller girl leaned against the wall, crossing her arms.

Beca sneaked around, checking if there was any other danger heading their way before she turned her attention back to her girlfriend. "You okay?" She asked softly.

Chloe shrugged. "I guess. I just...I hate not being safe, you know? I hate the fact that we can never just let go for a bit." She bit her lip sadly.

"That's the sucky part about an apocalypse." The brunette frowned. "But we cherish the moments we have, right?"

The redhead nodded and pushed herself off from the wall. "Let's check out the other rooms."

"Sure." Beca smiled and grabbed her girlfriend's hand before they roamed through the castle.

 

They enjoyed their day at Disneyland before they made their way back to the car. Beca smirked as she let down the backseat. "Care to join me for a cuddle?"

Chloe moved her new guitar towards the front and nodded. She climbed over the seat and sat down in the trunk, careful not to hit her head.

The smaller girl smiled at her girlfriend. "Ah shit, I need to pee. Be right back." She grabbed her gun before getting out of the car. "Make yourself comfortable!" She grinned as she left to go back to Disneyland, opting for a toilet she had seen somewhere near the entrance.

The redhead leaned back against the side of the car, sighing. She felt uneasy. It was hard to relax when she knew she was in constant danger. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. As she got her backpack from the front seat, she pulled out the bottle of whiskey she had hidden in there a while ago. Without thinking, she took a huge swig, feeling the alcohol burn her throat. Immediately, she took another, closing her eyes at the familiarity of the taste.

Beca had to fight off a few zombies that were coming at her in the restroom. "Goddamnit, let a lady pee in peace!" She finished her business before leaving again, hurriedly running back to the car and jumping into it.

Chloe had already downed half of the whiskey bottle and let out a soft hiccup as Beca entered the car. "Helllooooo." She smiled.

"Hi." The brunette smiled but it faded when her eyes landed on the whiskey bottle. "Don't tell me you drank that."

"What? No! Of course not! I just found it!" The redhead's face was a little flushed.

"What's 2+4x3?" Beca asked.

Chloe narrowed her eyes, thinking. "Uhmm… so you take the 2 and the four, that...that makes five. No! Wait, six. And then… multiply by 3..." She furrowed her brows. "I… Is that 18?"

"No." The brunette shook her head, snagging the bottle. "It's 14. Multiply before adding it up. And you're drunk." She glared at the other girl. "I told you we couldn't drink! What if zombies attack us now? You could end up dead Chloe."

The redhead glared at her girlfriend. "Well, they can attack us all they want! I can still totally kill them." She mumbled. "It's no big deal. At least I can relax a little now."

Beca frowned. She was hurt that Chloe disobeyed her. She averted her gaze, not feeling up to anything anymore. "Get into the passenger's seat. We're leaving."

"No. I don't want to leave." The redhead replied, crossing her arms.

"Chloe. Get into the seat." Beca spoke up again, a little anger evident in her voice.

"No! Why do you always order me around! I'm staying here. It's getting dark and it's dangerous out on the road!" Chloe replied, equally as angry.

"We drove a lot in the dark before, this isn't any different!" The brunette retorted.

"Yeah? Well, I'm sick of it!" The redhead balled her fist. "Give that back to me!" Her eyes were trained on the half full whiskey bottle in Beca's lap.

"No!" Beca growled, holding it away. "You've drunk enough!"

"I don't care!" Chloe stumbled forward, pressing her hand down on the brunette’s knee and reaching for the bottle.

Beca pushed the redhead away with her free hand before hiding the bottle behind her back. "You're not getting it!" She hissed.

The other girl let out a frustrated groan and pushed her girlfriend against the side of the car. "Give. it. back!" She hissed angrily.

"No!" Beca retorted, glaring at the girl in front of her. She gently pushed her back with her feet. "You've been bad."

Chloe finally gave up and slumped back. She blinked at the other girl and her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry." She whimpered.

"You should be! You just... You disobeyed me!" Beca spat, her face turning soft however, the sight of her girlfriend crying violently tugging at her heart.

"I just… I wanted to feel good and relaxed on my birthday!" The redhead cried out, rubbing her eyes.

The brunette sighed as she leaned forward, taking Chloe's hands in hers before lowering them. "I get it." She whispered softly. "But drinking isn't gonna make everything go away. It's still there, you just... forget about it. I get that. But it's just so fucking dangerous." She started wiping her girlfriend's tears.

Chloe looked at her girlfriend, teary eyed. She nodded and bit her lip. "You'll protect me, right?"

"Yes. But I'm afraid that I might not be able to. That's why I didn't want you to drink." Beca frowned. "I'm scared I could lose you over this, Chloe."

The redhead sniffled and cleared her throat. "I'm… I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I promise." She looked into the brunette’s eyes.

Beca nodded before pressing a soft kiss onto her girlfriend's lips. "Sorry for being so mad."

Chloe nodded. "It's okay."  She looked down at her hands, which were shaking. "I… I don't know what to do. Should I throw up? Maybe then the alcohol won't have had any effect yet."

"No." Beca shook her head. "Don't force yourself to throw up. You’re already drunk, you can’t take that back." She didn't believe she was about to say this, but she slowly retrieved the half empty bottle from behind her. "Sharing is caring right?" She took a huge swig, a familiar burning making itself known. She cringed before taking another swig, almost throwing up from the pure alcohol.

The redhead's eyes widened and she lunged forward, trying to take the bottle from her girlfriend. "Beca, don't!" She said warningly.

"If you're having fun, why shouldn't I?" The brunette chuckled weakly as she took another swig, holding the other girl back. "You already took your share."

Chloe felt a sting of worry in her heart and sat back. "I… I'm sorry." She whispered. She knew this was her fault.

Beca chugged the bottle successfully before dropping it onto the trunk, her vision spinning a little. "Woah I forgot how it was like." She whispered. "Why did I do that?!" She cursed at herself.

"I don't know..." The redhead replied softly. She felt the effects of the alcohol settling in her stomach more and her hands started feeling weird.

The brunette sighed. "Alright." She stared at the girl in front of her, feeling the uneasy tension between them. This was the first time they fought, and Beca didn't know what to do about it.

"Maybe we should try sleeping it off?" Chloe offered, blinking into the light.

"And waste what we just drank?" Beca asked, the alcohol slowly tingling inside her. "No. We should do something." She grabbed the empty bottle, looking at it. "How about Spin the Bottle?" She asked, slurring her words a little.

"But… we're with two people. That doesn't work." The redhead had to giggle.

"Oh, too bad. Guess I always have to kiss you, huh?" The brunette replied with a smirk, pointing the bottle at the other girl. "Oh, looks like I have to kiss you now."

Chloe nodded, looking at her girlfriend shyly. "Well, go ahead."

Beca smirked before connecting her lips with her girlfriend's, accidentally, but roughly, pushing her against the side of the car.

When Chloe's head bumped against the car, she didn't even feel it. She was too busy with the brunette's soft lips pressing onto hers. She reciprocated the kiss and let her arms snake around Beca's back.

The smaller girl straddled her girlfriend's hips and kept kissing her, cupping her cheeks. She sighed contently and ran her tongue along the other girl's bottom lip.

The redhead let out a soft whimper. She pulled her girlfriend closer against her and breathed out shakily.

"Oh." Beca pulled away softly before turning her head, letting out a soft burp. "I was a little too eager. Excuse me." She chuckled softly.

Chloe giggled at her girlfriend's burp. "Come here." She whispered.

The brunette turned her head around, looking her girlfriend into her eyes.

"I had the best day." The redhead said with a smile.

"I'm glad." Beca smiled. "It's the least I could do."

"I do feel very drunk right now, though." The taller girl admitted.

"Yeah, me too." The brunette replied. "Can't see you straight anymore." She giggled. "Unintentional joke."

Chloe laughed way harder than she normally would have and slapped Beca's knee playfully. "I can't believe you drank all that."

"Well I'm sorry!" The smaller girl giggled. "Either go big or go home!"

"I really want to touch you." The redhead said, her eyes locking with her girlfriend’s while she bit her lip.

"Drunk sex huh? I'm in." Beca whispered as she leaned forward, sloppily capturing her girlfriend's lips.

Chloe reciprocated the kiss hungrily, her hands disappearing underneath Beca's shirt, to which the brunette let out a shaky breath. 

"This feels more intense now. Woah." She whispered before pulling the other girl closer, grinding her hips against hers.

The redhead smirked. "You're really hot, did you know that?"

"Do I sound cocky if I say yes?" Beca asked, mirroring her girlfriend's expression. She ran her hands over the other girl’s back, teasingly inching lower to her butt.

"Not really. It's good to be confident." Chloe giggled.

"Good thing I've grown more confident lately." The brunette smirked, leaning forward to nibble on the redhead's neck. "Let me take care of you." She purred.

Chloe let out a shaky breath. "Oh..." She whispered.

"Lie down." Beca ordered as she pulled off the redhead's shirt, accidentally knocking her hands against the roof of the car.

The other girl laughed at that and shuffled her hips down so she was laid down on her back, anticipating what’s about to come.

The brunette grinned at her. "Oh, you like it when I accidentally injure myself?" She frowned, though it was ruined due to her not being able to keep a straight face. She leaned down and started preppering the redhead with small kisses over her jaw and neck.

Chloe giggled louder. "Your face is just really funny."' She snickered.

"Why?" Beca asked with a grin.

"I don't know. I just really love your face." The redhead smiled dorkily.

"Okay. Well, I really love your boobs." The smaller girl smirked as she rested her hands on them, emphasising her point. She slipped her hands beneath the bra, giving the breasts a gentle squeeze.

Chloe smirked. "Thanks, I grew them myself." She arched her back into Beca's touch, her lips parted slightly.

The smaller girl leaned down to kiss her girlfriend, the need soon taking over, their kiss turning more heated. She took off the taller girl’s bra and started grinding her hips against the redhead's teasingly, her own arousal growing.

"Becs..." Chloe let out a soft breath, her eyes pinched close. "Please just..." She whispered softly.

Beca quickly unzipped the redhead's pants, sliding them down before tossing them away. She did the same with her underwear, taking in the naked body in front of her. "I'm so glad I decided to be your girlfriend." She murmured. "So glad that you'll be getting a small show." She straddled the other girl's lap before slowly starting to take off her own shirt.

Chloe watched the brunette, amazement splayed across her face. "Woa." She whispered.

Beca smirked as she started getting rid of her pants, rolling off her girlfriend for that. She laughed as she struggled with getting up again. "Okay, I give up. Sex's cancelled, I can't get up anymore." She giggled.

"Noooooooooo." Chloe whined dramatically. She looked at Beca with big eyes, pleading her to continue.

The brunette rolled over, successfully lying halfway on her girlfriend. "Oh, nevermind." She nibbled on the redhead's soft flesh satisfied, heaving herself up a little.

"Yay!" Chloe wriggled gleefully. A blush was apparent on her cheeks, showing that she was definitely drunk as fuck.

Beca moved down, quickly arriving at the redhead's vagina before burying her head between her legs, starting to lick her. She knew it was Chloe's favorite way to be pleasured, so she smirked as she swirled her tongue through the redhead's folds.

The taller girl’s hips rose a little as she let out a soft moan, her back arching. Immediately, waves of pleasure went through her entire body as her girlfriend ate her out, her hands clutching at the blanket they were laying on.

Beca hummed as she slid her tongue inside the other girl, tasting her. She went in deep, using her finger to rub the redhead's clit which cause Chloe to let out a deep throated moan, letting her head fall back. "That feels so good..." She whimpered.

The brunette continued, the noises of pleasure of the other girl keeping her going. Chloe felt herself getting close and let out a soft cry, her back arching even more. Beca moved up to suck on the redhead's clit, flicking her tongue over it. She used her fingers to go deep inside her girlfriend, curling them in the process, to which the other girl moaned loudly as she flew over the edge, her legs shaking. "Fuck..." She whispered, her eyes pinched close.

The smaller girl lifted herself up, wiping her mouth. "You came for me, baby." She purred as she moved up to kiss her girlfriend.

"How are you so good at that?" Chloe whispered softly.

"I don't know." Beca replied, grinding her hips against the redhead’s, searching for friction. "But you make me super horny."

"Well, then let's take care of that." The taller girl smiled. "If you'd kindly lay yourself down, miss."

"Okay." The brunette nodded as she rolled off the redhead, lying down on her back. She propped herself up with her forearms, looking at her girlfriend with dilated pupils.

"You look really cute, did you know that?" Chloe smiled as she sat up, looking at the smaller girl who watched her with big eyes. She hooked her hands behind Beca's knees and pulled her down more, moving up to connect her lips to the brunette's neck while she removed her bra swiftly.

"Why thank you. But aren't you supposed to look hot during sex?" Beca asked confusedly as her eyes fluttered close. She rested her hands on the redhead's back, gently gripping the flesh as Chloe sucked on her pulse point.

"You can look however you want." The redhead purred. "You're the most sexy and attractive person I've ever met."

"I'm shamelessly basking in your compliments, Beale." The smaller girl noted, biting her lip. "And they turn me on."

"Alright, alright." Chloe mumbled into Beca's neck. She kissed down her chest and nibbled on the brunette's nipple playfully while she parted her legs. She let her fingers dance through the other girl’s folds softly.

Beca's breath hitched as she lifted up her hips, trying to get more contact. "Shit." She cursed as she gripped tighter onto the redhead's back. The action let the taller girl snicker softly as she bit down on Beca's nipple. She let her fingers run over the brunette's clit before pushing two fingers inside of her.

The small girl’s moan was a little high as she didn't expect the redhead’s actions, the alcohol letting her blank for a second. She didn't complain though, her hips starting to rock to the other girl’s pace. "Why are you so good at this?" She asked.

"Practice." Chloe simply replied, dead honest. Her fingers pumped into Beca mercilessly, her noises of pleasure spurring her on. Her girlfriend was so much more vocal when she was drunk, and the redhead was loving it.

Beca felt her toes curl at the pace the other girl was going. "Chlo..." She whispered, feeling herself getting closer. She dug her nails into her girlfriend's back, lightly scratching them down as she moaned.

"Shhhh..." Chloe shushed the smaller girl and kissed down her neck. She let her thumb run over Beca's clit, the movement of her hand making her fingers curl slightly inside of her.

The brunette bit her lip to keep herself from practically screaming her girlfriend's name. She lifted her hips frantically, getting closer and closer by the second. Once particular curl made her fall over the edge, her legs shaking as she let out a low, long moan.

Chloe pulled her fingers out and licked them clean. She kissed over Beca's stomach and breasts until she arrived back up at her face while her girlfriend came down from her high. "Hey!" She said with a huge grin.

"Hi." Beca mirrored the redhead’s expression and pecked her on the lips. "Long time no see."

Chloe sighed happily. "That was great, wasn't it?"

"Yeaaaah." The brunette smirked, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. “Mindblowing as always.”

The redhead melted into the other girl’s touch and smiled contentedly. "I love being drunk."

"It isn't that bad, but it's idiotic that we're drunk now." Beca giggled. “But whatever.”

"I like it. We should do it more." Chloe replied with a serious face. “You’re so much more vocal.” She murmured into her girlfriend’s ear.

"No." The brunette replied, matter of factly, though she did blush at the redhead’s comment.

The taller girl fake gasped. "Why not?"

"We have to be attentive." Beca pouted. "Like, if we were to stumble out now, we would need a lot of bullets to take down a zombie. And we could die more easily."

"I can take ‘em with my bare hands" Chloe deadpanned confidently.

"No. And I'm not gonna challenge you. You'll probably actually go out there and actually try, thus getting bitten and die." The brunette replied with a dry chuckle.

The redhead huffed,wriggling out of her girlfriend’s embrace to cross her arms. "I guess you're right."

Beca pecked the taller girl’s lips with a chuckle. "Good."

 

"You sleepy?" Chloe asked softly asked after a while.

The brunette grabbed the blanket and draped it over them. "Maybe. Depends on what you wanna do." She grinned goofily.

The redhead bit her lip. "I'm not… so..." She sighed and readjusted her position. "I feel kind of bad."

"Why?" Beca asked as she embraced the other girl and started stroking her girlfriend's back.

"We're out here having fun, and I can't stop thinking about Aubrey." Chloe bit her lip.

"Oh." The brunette replied, frowning. "You miss her a lot huh?"

"Yeah. And I feel so guilty… She's still… just walking around. Suffering." The taller girl sniffled.

"Why don't you just put her out of her misery?" Beca asked. "Like, just pull the trigger. All good. Although... If I had known I was about to shoot Jesse like a month or so ago, I would've... Hesitated..." She frowned. "I get it."

The redhead's eyes glazed over. "I… I don't think I can. I've tried but… I just couldn't do it."

The smaller girl cupped Chloe's cheeks, pulling her closer than necessary. "You don't have to do it, but if you want, I'm there. I'll be there to hold you. To rub your back. To pet your beautiful hair and kiss everything better. Because, you will move on." She bit her lip. "You know, I had a dream. When we arrived at the beach. I met Jesse, and he basically helped me move on from him, and told me to... To get together with you, basically. To risk everything."

"Really? That's… woah… That's a lot." The redhead sat back, her eyes wide. "Do you think Aubrey will come to me too?"

"Maybe." Beca shrugged. "But... No promises."

“I hope so. I miss her. I miss her voice and her jokes and her laugh..." Chloe sniffled softly.

"I get what you mean." The smaller girl sighed. "I... I have a feeling I'm forgetting what Jesse sounded like. I... I don't even remember his eye color anymore." She confessed. "I wish I could just... Have him back, you know? Not as a boyfriend of course, just... Have him around."

The redhead nodded sadly. "Can I see him again? I didn’t see him properly when you had your phone turned on." She asked carefully.

Beca nodded, moving up to dig around in her backpack. She pulled out her wallet, retrieving a faded polaroid picture. It showed her and Jesse, happily laughing at the camera. "That's the first photo we took as a couple. I know I have many photos of us on my phone, but that is officially dead. I always carry this around with me." She sighed softly as she let her girlfriend look at it. "I don't know why, but I really like it. Maybe it's because it's one of the few pictures where I actually look happy."

Chloe smiled at the picture. Beca was smiling into the camera and so was Jesse. "That's a really sweet picture, Becs." She whispered.

"Thanks." The brunette smiled sadly. "Can I see Aubrey?"

At Beca's question, the redhead’s smile faded. "I… I don't have a picture of her. I had, on my phone… but… the battery died days after we left the safehouse." She explained sadly

"Then we'll find a solar panel and create some electricity to charge your phone!" The smaller girl furrowed her brows. "Or... We could go to... Columbus and check out your childhood home. Or hers." She suggested carefully.

Chloe looked at her girlfriend intently. "Last time I checked, Bree was roaming around Columbus… we could… go back there." She whispered.

"You sure about that?" Beca asked, studying her girlfriend. “I know it would be a lot for you.”

The redhead let out a long breath. "I don't know! It's scary as fuck but yea… It would be nice to go home." She said, looking at the brunette with big eyes.

"Okay. I'll be with you." The other girl smiled reassuringly, pressing her lips onto Chloe's.

Chloe nodded. "Okay. Off to Columbus we go." She whispered, sounding scared out of her mind.

"But first we need to sleep off the alcohol." Beca smiled. "It's not safe to drink and drive."

"I guess you're right." The redhead shrugged. "But I'm not tired at all yet."

"Wanna go for another round?" The brunette asked suggestively, trailing her hand down south.

Chloe hummed. "Well… I don't know. Aren't you tired?"

"Nop." Beca replied, popping the p. "Never too tired for you, babe."

"Alright." The redhead nodded. "Go ahead."

The smaller girl immediately climbed on top of the other girl, her mind going dizzy for a second from the sudden movement before she eagerly made her way down with open mouth kisses, all the way down to where Chloe needed it the most.

"Oh." The taller girl closed her eyes, her lips slightly parted. "That feels really good."

Beca hummed in approval before connecting her mouth to the redhead's core, once again licking over it firmly, to which Chloe let out a soft whimper while she tangled her fingers through her girlfriend’s hair, guiding her.

The brunette let her teeth graze over the redhead's clit before running her tongue over it smoothly. She then pushed it inside her girlfriend before retracting it, licking back up to her clit again.

Chloe buckled her hips and let out soft moans, her eyes pinched close. "Becs..." She whispered.

Beca pulled back momentarily, ignoring the redhead's frustrated whimper. She furrowed her brows, listening intently. She could've sworn she heard a small clanging sound outside.

The taller girl pulled her girlfriend back down, grunting frustratedly. "Hey."

"Sorry." Beca replied, concluding that a zombie probably made the noise. She snaked her arms around the redhead's thighs before continuing to eat her out, enjoying the noises of pleasure the other girl released.

 

Soon enough, Chloe was getting close to the edge as her moans became louder. Her hands gripped onto the brunette’s hair tightly.

"Come for me, babe." Beca murmured, her voice low and seductive. She loved having the redhead at her mercy, knowing she could be the only one to push her over the edge.

The other girl’s breath was rasped as she tried to fill her lungs, the moans erupting from her throat giving her no time to breathe. "I'm… I'm..." She whimpered, flying over the edge with a loud moan.

The brunette let her girlfriend ride out her high, watching her while biting her lip. "You look so hot, you know that?"

Chloe opened her eyes, looking into the other girl’s eyes. "I don't know. I guess?" She said, dead serious.

"You do." Beca said, crawling back up to kiss her girlfriend. "Especially your toned stomach. And your boobs, how they fill out my hands. And what I really like about you is your small smile you sometimes give me."

The redhead smiled at the brunette. "That's… woah. That's a lot. Thank you." She blinked, staring deeply into her girlfriend's eyes.

Beca smirked. "I can be romantic. Don't be so surprised."

"I know that. I'm just… your words make my heart skip a beat." Chloe admitted shyly.

The smaller girl smiled as she brushed a strand of hair behind her girlfriend's ear, her fingers then lightly trailing down the redhead's cheek and jaw to her chin. She looked into the redhead’s eyes contently and fondly, smiling softly. She leaned down to press her lips onto Chloe's, pulling her in for a long, sweet kiss. When she pulled back, her eyes locked with the redhead's again. "I love you." She grinned.

Chloe looked at her girlfriend lovingly and smiled. "I love you too." She whispered. Her mind was a bit foggy now, the sleep kicking in.

Beca snuggled into her girlfriend, wrapping an arm protectively around her. "Good night Chlo."

"Nighty night." The taller girl replied, grinning as she closed her eyes.

 

The next morning, Beca woke up, trying not to focus on the headache or the nauseous feeling that hit her. She rubbed her eyes and rolled away from Chloe, crawling around the car to look for some clothing. She put on underwear and a shirt before opening a car door so fresh air could stream in. She laid back down next to the redhead, nudging her awake. "Hey there sexy." She smirked as her girlfriend groggily opened her eyes.

Chloe finger gunned at the other girl tiredly. "Hi." She winked lazily.

"You also a little hangover?" The brunette asked as she yawned, tucking her arm under her head as she faced the redhead.

"Not really. Is that bad?" The taller girl smiled innocently.

"Eh. My head hurts a little and I feel nauseous." Beca replied sheepishly. "But otherwise, I'm good." She rested one hand on the other girl’s hip, pulling her closer.

Chloe let out an surprised breath but smiled. "Whatcha doing buddy?" She giggled.

"Just giving my super hot girlfriend a good morning kiss." The brunette smirked as she leaned in.

The redhead smiled into the kiss, wrapping her arm around the other girl’s back. "Hmm."

Beca turned them a little so the other girl was now lying on her back. She straddled her lap, a leg sliding between the taller girl's. She kept kissing her, her hands now set next to her girlfriend’s face.

Chloe broke apart from the kiss shortly, letting out a soft breath. "Becs..." She whispered.

"Hmmm?" The brunette smiled mischievously.

"What are you doing?" The redhead whispered.

"Who says I was going to do something?" Beca asked, raising her eyebrow. "Come on, let's get the car ready so we can drive to Columbus."

Chloe huffed. "You're a tease, Beca Mitchell." She retrieved her hands from her girlfriend’s hips, crossing her arms.

"My pleasure." The smaller girl grinned. “Now go put something on as I get the backseat ready.”

The redhead hummed as she got out from underneath her girlfriend, looking for something to wear. In the meantime, Beca propped the backseat back up before putting their stuff on it. "I'm getting hungry. We should eat something first before we leave.”

"Alright. Be careful with your nausea though. What are you craving?" Chloe smiled as she sat down in the passenger's seat, now fully clothed.

"Junk food." The brunette shrugged as she put on pants. "Nah, we might have some ravioli left." She said as she roamed around the car, retrieving a can. "Bingo."

The redhead fist pumped. "YES!" She took the can from her girlfriend’s hands and cradled it like a baby.

Beca laughed as she retrieved the can opener, handing it to Chloe. "We should heat it up on the hood. It's already getting pretty hot." She squinted her eyes outside. "Damn climate change."

"Won't it be gross though, with all the dust and zombie guts?" The redhead wondered aloud as she opened the can.

The brunette snorted. "We won't pour the content onto the hood, are you stupid?" She giggled. "No, we'll put it outside like this and wait."

Chloe stared outside for a bit, disappointed at her own thought process. "Of course."

Beca giggled softly as she pressed a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek before getting out of the car, putting the can on the hood. "Now we wait." She said as she entered the car again. "We should throw on the A/C tho. Or else we'll die of dehydration cause it’s heating up in here, too.”

The redhead nodded. "I'm kinda thirsty too." She admitted.

"You know where the bottles are." The smaller girl replied as she turned on the A/C, relishing in the cool air.

Chloe nodded, getting out of the car. She got to the hood and grabbed two water bottles, one for her and one for Beca. "Here you go, babe." She said as she returned, handing it to her girlfriend.

"Thanks." The brunette smiled as she grabbed the bottle, taking a gulp.

"I hope your hangover leaves soon." The redhead said sweetly.

"It will." Beca smiled confidently. 

They waited for the can to heat up, the smaller girl getting out to touch it every few minutes in order to check how warm it was. When she checked again, she immediately retracted her hand, shaking it. "Yeah, that's definitely hot now." She winced.

Chloe took her girlfriend’s hand and kissed it. "Ouchie."

"I don't need you to kiss me better." Beca rolled her eyes with a smile. "But thanks." She took off her shirt and used it as a barricade for the heat. "Good, now get some bowls ready. We need to eat."

The redhead huffed. "No. That was mean. I was just trying to help." She crossed her arms. "You grab the bowls."

"Aw, I'm sorry bae." The brunette frowned but she grabbed the bowls anyways. She handed one to her girlfriend before dumping half the can into it.

The taller girl took the bowl with a pout. "My kisses always make things better. You're talking bull." She said as she dug into her food.

"Of course they do." Beca smiled softly. “I was just messing with you.”

After finishing her food, Chloe stretched out her legs. "Hmmm..." She yawned.

"Ready to hit Columbus?" The smaller girl asked as she put her bowl away.

"Well… as ready as I'll ever be I guess" The redhead replied softly.

"Okay." Beca hummed and took the redhead's hand, squeezing it before she sped off, going towards Columbus.

Chloe slept most of the time, still not completely recovered from their drunk night before. When she was awake, they talked about the environment and landscapes passing by, their lives before the apocalypse and anything really. Time really flew by. 


End file.
